Love Wins All
by Digi Yo
Summary: Tai and Sora- best friends. Everyone thinks they are perfect for each other but the are simply not ready to accept it and they'll learn it in a not so good way. Mimi is missing and everyone thinks she is dead but Matt is determined to find her. Taiora, Mimato & Takari.
1. Haunting Memories

**Love Wins All**

**Chapter 1: Haunting Memories.**

It was all too wrong. He knew that he was not supposed to believe this but he could not stop himself from believing it. He could not sleep and kept tossing and turning in bed. Finally he gave up trying to sleep and sat up. He looked up at the clock. It was 3:00 am. He groaned. Why did it have to be this time when he had to wake up. And that too on this day…

He got out of bed and stared out of the window. There was not a soul in sight. The stillness was making him uncomfortable. He was trying to put away the images of three years ago which always flooded his mind this day and every time on this day he simply had to get up at this hour and then he would not be able to stop it all from coming back. Her screams. Her cries. And the fact that he had been too late. He still believed it was his fault even today when those who knew about it had tried so hard to make it think that it had not been his fault.

Everyone thought that Yamato Ishida had the perfect life. He was good looking, one of the most popular guys at college, had his own band and everyone knew that he planned to go official with his band now that he had completed college. Girls simply craved for him considering the fact that he was single- and had been so for three years. They could not understand why when he could get any girl he wanted he never paid attention to any of them. Nobody knew the real reason behind it except very few other people- the Digidestined. And in that city only Tai and Sora knew and since from today T.K. and Kari had also come there they were also in the secret.

Matt gripped the window sill tightly. He could not stop it. Those memories were flooding his mind again. Memories from three years ago. This very day, this very hour…..

**Flashback (3 years ago);**

Matt lay fast asleep in bed. The next day would be their first day in college. Suddenly his cell phone rang. He slowly got up and looked at the clock. 3:00 am. Who would be calling him at this hour? He saw the caller I.D. It was his girlfriend- Mimi Tachikawa.

"What happened Meems?"

"Matt…Matt."

Her voice immediately made Matt shoot up and sit upright. She seemed totally panicked and was gasping for breath and also in hysterics.

"Mimi, are you alright?"

"Matt…help me help me!" She was practically choking.

"What happened?"

Matt too had panicked now. What could have happened to Mimi? He knew that Mimi did create mountains out of mole hills but her voice that time cannot be described.

"Matt…" And then she screamed. It was a blood curdling screams and it gave Matt goose bumps. Then he heard muffled screams. Someone had probably gagged Mimi's mouth. And then the phone cut off.

Matt jumped off bed and rushed out. He was in pajamas and flip flops. He quickly got into his car and took off at full speed. There was nobody on the road at that hour so he reached Mimi's apartment in only an hour. She was sharing the apartment with Sora but Sora had gone back to Odaiba that night due to some problems with her mother. She was coming back the next day and so Mimi had been all alone that night.

Matt came to a halt at the gate. Everything was dead silent. The apartment was totally silent. The lights were switched off. He got off the car and rushed towards the house. The door was not surprisingly open. Matt rushed in. The house seemed just as it had in the afternoon when they had set it up.

"Mimi!" Matt called.

Silence.

"Mimi!" Matt called again.

Still nothing.

Matt rushed up to Mimi's room. Now the room was another story. The bed sheet was on the floor and the blanket was torn. Pillows and cushions were strewn around the room. A chair was lying upturned. Mimi's pen stand was lying broken and all around the desk pens were lying here and there. Also two three books were all spread on the desk. Some of the pages were torn. Matt entered the bath room. All Mimi's hair products, shampoos and all kinds of soaps and creams were again thrown around. And there, near the bath tub lay her cell phone. Matt simply stared at it. He walked out and his eyes wandered to the wardrobe. He was taken aback by this. All Mimi's clothes and shoes were missing. He remembered very well that they had arranged everything in the cupboard but it was all missing.

"Mimi." Matt said softly. What he had feared had happened. He had been too late. The words hurt him…..too late.

The police came after that. They searched everywhere for her but she was nowhere to be found. Finally they gave up. After about a year the Digidestined also gave up.

_**End of flashback**_

Matt was sweating now thinking of that night. Everyone had given up but he could not somehow bring himself to give up. He had some connection with Mimi and it prevented him from giving up. He would have known if –like the police said and the others though did not say anything but thought so- Mimi was dead. He could not believe that. He knew that somewhere she was alive. He would find her….somehow.

"Matt."

"Tai, what are you doing up so late at night." Matt said.

"I was thirsty. And I could not go back to sleep and well, I knew you would be up at this hour….. today." Tai said slowly.

Matt shrugged. Tai joined him by the window. Yesterday, they had graduated from college.

"So when are your auditions?" Matt said

"In a week." Tai replied. He was trying for the national soccer team. He had played at the rookie level during college and now he had his auditions in a week. "And when is your album recording?"

In a week too." Matt flashed a smile.

"Wow. Sora has her interview with that designer in a week too."

"Going to be a big day for all of us, I see." Matt said. "Well hard to believe that Sora is entering into designing. Changed a lot hasn't she?"

"Na. She is still the same old tomboy in private life."

* * *

"Calm down Sora. Calm down!" Tai held his hands up in defeat.

"CALM DOWN! MY WORLD IS FALLING APART AND YOU ARE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN."

Matt raised an eyebrow at Tai and then got back into the book he was reading. He knew better than to interfere when Sora was in one of her tempers courtesy her mother. It was better to let Tai handle her. They seemed so perfect. They always reminded him of Mimi and himself. What Matt couldn't understand was that after being so perfect for each other, why were they still stuck at the best friend phase. Every person at school knew so did every person at college. The Digidestined knew. The Digimon knew. Even Tai's parents knew for God's sake. (He could not say that for Sora's mom though since she had a natural hating for Tai in any case.) In short everyone but Tai and Sora knew that they were simply perfect for each other.

"Sora. Come on. You have won over her for the past three years. Just last time."

Sora nodded. "I will try. But Tai…." Her lower lip began to tremble. Matt chose this moment to get up and leave.

Sora continued. "Tai she simply wants me to come back home and manage that flower shop of hers. She does not want me to experiment with my life. I want to become a fashion designer but that is not what she wants to allow me to do. She wants me to manage that stupid ancestral shop." And with that she broke down and began to cry.

Tai hugged her. "It will be fine Sora. You have struggled for three years. Just one last time."

Sora's mother had not wanted her to go to college. She had wanted her to join her in the flower business ever since she had completed high school even though Sora had been greatly intelligent. Sora's struggle had actually begun ever since she was ten. She was always forced by her mother to quit soccer which she called quite "unfeminine". But Sora had continued it through school life and even through college. Her mother was greatly furious by all this. On one thing despite her disapproval her daughter went ahead to college and then she played that sport. But Sora had somehow calmed her down. It had been thanks to all that that she had not been able to be with Mimi that night and Sora often felt angry with her mother regarding that. She had thrown up a fit about Sora's going to college. After that Sora had not been able to stay in that apartment. It reminded her of Mimi and how she had not been there when Mimi had needed her the most. She had moved in with Tai and Matt. Now T.K. and Kari had come in their tiny apartment too but they did manage somehow.

"No. It will not be one time. I will just be working under that designer for a year or two only for experience. After that I plan to have my own company. Will she allow that." It was more of a statement that a question.

Tai still held her as she wept into his chest. "Sora, life is not easy always. It will be fine. One day she will approve of you."

"She can never approve of me. She has always hated me."

"Hate is a big word Sora. She will understand you someday. Calm down. And well even if she _doesn't like _you. You need to like yourself. Only then can you make her or anyone for the matter like you."

"You like me?"

"Of course!"

Sora hugged him and Tai returned the hug.

"Whoa! So you guys are finally getting official!" T.K. said from the doorway.

Tai and Sora immediately pulled apart.

"No way!" They said in chorus.

"We are just friends!" Tai said.

"_Best_ friends." Sora said.

"Aw leave them T.K." Kari said and pulled her boyfriend inside the room she and Sora were sharing.

"Hey! Sora! Do you think we would ever make a good couple?"

"We would I guess. But, well that will be a dream." Sora said shrugging.

"I wonder if I will ever get a girl."

"Same here."

"You are lesbian?"

"I meant a guy Tai!"

"Oh! Sorry!"

* * *

He was giving her a smile. A terrible smile. She knew very well what that smile meant. Even after three years it gave her chills down her spine.

"Mimi Mimi Mimi…" He said. "You must by now know what happens when I come here."

Mimi knew it very well. She could only think one thing. _"When will all this get over? Help me…Matt."_

* * *

Matt kicked at a stone as he walked back towards the apartment. This day always saw him as the most miserable person in the universe.

He was thinking to himself. "_I know you are not dead Mimi. I will find you one day."_

* * *

**OK now this is going to be a weird fic. Since it is going to have sadness as well as happiness. Humor as well as sorrow and well simply all genres! I will try to update it fast and the other chapters will be longer(I hope :)) Anyways… Review :D**


	2. The Dream

**CHAPTER 2: The Dream.**

Matt began to sweat all over. What the hell happened? He had not had that dream for many days now. In fact he had only had it for like a few weeks after the incident but after that he had gained control of himself. Maybe he was thinking a little too much about the incident these days. Or something was definitely going on….

It was 6:00 am at that time. He had to go for band practice at 8:00. He would maybe as well just get ready and leave. He was having an uncomfortable feeling. Within an hour he got ready grabbed his guitar and left the place leaving a note for the others who were still asleep.

As Matt drove through the road his thoughts again seemed to go back three years back. Something was not really fitting. Whoever kidnapped Mimi, why did he do so? All her clothes and shoes too had been missing. It was not like most kidnappings which were merely done for the sake of ransom money. But there hadn't been any such case regarding Mimi and her clothes were missing. This indicated that the assaulter had intended her to live with him. Could it possibly be one of Mimi's fan boys? No…. They couldn't possibly go that low….or could they? He shuddered to think if his theory was true what might be happening with Mimi.

With these thoughts he reached the old rented room which his band members and he were using for practicing. He noticed a car parked outside. It belonged to the second lead in his band….Derek. It was 7:15 exactly. What was he doing there so early? And well Derek was the last person he wanted to speak to at the moment. He did not really like Derek. He seemed to have too much of an attitude and Derek too did not really like Matt. The reason was quite unknown. The other three members thought that it was because Derek wanted to be the lead and it was jealousy. But Matt knew that was not the case since after Mimi's disappearance he had gone completely into his shell for a year. And in that state of depression he had wanted to quit the band and so had offered Derek to take his place as the lead singer and guitarist but Derek had refused saying he did not think that he wanted to be the lead singer for the band.

Matt shrugged. He did not want to sit in the car and it was very cold outside. The warmer in the car did not seem to be working or he was simply feeling a chilling feeling inside him. Whatever it was he did not exactly want to think about it so he got out of his car and made his way towards the room. On the door there was a paper stuck which said 'Teenage Wolves'. Matt did not exactly find the name appropriate since they were no longer teenagers and had wanted to change it but the others wanted to stick to it.

As he neared the door, Matt heard a loud thud. It seemed to come from the other end of the room. He quickly opened the door and reached in. He found Derek standing by the window. Derek had brown hair and brown eyes, the same color as Tai's but he looked nothing like Tai(and I do not say that just because of those wild hair). His eyes hardly ever twinkled. He even smiled rarely. He had a weird faraway look on his face. _As if he is cruel….._ T.K. had once said. And according to Davis he looked like Ogremon. True, Derek was about four or five years older than Matt and the other members but he looked at least twenty years older. The drummer, Kevin had actually introduced him to them. He was some distant cousin of his.

"What are you doing?" Matt said.

"Um…..standing." Derek said. Humor definitely did not suit him.

"I heard a noise. Like something fell with a great force. " Matt said putting down his guitar. He stared at him with narrowed eyes suspiciously just like a cop stares at a thief. Matt noticed Derek flinched a little at the mention of something falling.

"Um…..It was that chair." He pointed to an over turned chair lying there.

"I can't believe it was that wooden chair which made such an alarming noise by falling on a wooden floor."

"Well what else do you think it could be Matt?"

"You should know better, I suppose."

"Well, I don't, okay?"

Matt was about to open his mouth to say something else but just then the others came in and he thought better of it. Later he simply forgot about it. He had many other more important things on his mind anyway.

* * *

"What did she say, Sora?" Kari asked.

"She threw another fit. And then she cut the phone. Now she is not receiving my calls."

They were talking about Sora's mother.

"Why don't you go and see her." T.K. said.

"No, T.K. If I go I will not be able to return. I know it and I will end up spending my life as a florist just like she did. Why can't she understand that I have my own dreams and ambition and I don't want to work in a flower shop? I don't even know the names of half of those bloody flowers. I guess one of them is called Baby's Breath. Imagine! It appears more like Dragon's breath to me! And those roses make me think of some whirling pit! Yeah yeah yeah! I know I own the crest of love and all but why the hell do people need to express their love through roses! If someone doesn't give a girl roses it means that they don't love her! LOL! I hate does rosy rosy pictures anyways! And then there are those pansies! Ugh! And don't get me started on the carnations….."

"Whoa! Cool it!" Tai said exiting the game he was playing lying on the couch and getting up. "So much anger! I seriously wonder how you have gotten so far without having blood pressure problems. Oh God! You are all red in the face."

"I am in a good mood to commit a murder. You want to be the victim, Tai?" Sora said.

"Um….Drink some water." T.K. said thrusting the bottle of water towards her. Sora really could do anything in her temper.

"Thanks!" Sora said as she began to drink and then exhaling and inhaling slowly to calm herself.

Tai looked at her sadly. She had not been like that before. She had always been the motherly and caring figure but she slowly got more and more frustrated. Her mother made her that. She had become short tempered. Sora and temper were two words which simply never went together but now they walked hand in hand. He would sometimes see the old Sora when they would play soccer or when they would laugh and talk i.e. when she forgot about her troubles. Tai so much wished he could do something for his friend but in this case all he could do was give her moral support. She had to do the rest on her own. Probably if he talked to her mother, Sora might be caged for all he knew. He didn't know why but she always seemed to hate him and he had not even done anything to her!

"Sora! You need to deal with all this calmly and coolly. It is not going to help if you get all hot and bothered like that." Tai said in a more serious tone this time.

Sora nodded. "Yeah! Sorry guys. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me."

Kari leaned forward and hugged Sora.

_This is Sora. The real Sora. Behind all that anger and fits and all that she is still somewhere deep underneath the caring and sweet girl she used to be. _ Tai thought.

Just then the door opened and Matt stormed in. He always seemed to make an entrance. He placed his guitar somewhere in a corner and sat down with the others.

"All okay Matt?" Kari said.

"I had the dream again." He said.

There was dead silence for a minute. You could even hear the ticking of the clock.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence Tai finally opened his mouth. "But….you have not had that for years now."

"I know… Maybe I was thinking too much about it….."

"Was it exactly the same Matt? I mean Mimi screaming in the darkness…." Sora said.

The dream began to come back to Matt. Mimi used to call out his name loud and she seemed to be in a dark as night background of some sort but this time it had been somewhat different…

"Not _exactly _the same."

"What was the difference?" T.K. asked. He sometimes really got worried about his brother. He somehow had not gotten over Mimi like everyone else had. Even Mimi's parents had moved on and were living life, they could not exactly be called happy but they were definitely better than his brother. He was really clinging on to the past…..badly.

"This time she was in a room. A hotel room of some kind and as usual she was screaming for help….my help." Matt swallowed hard. He did not want to cry in front of everybody. "I know you guys don't believe that she is alive….but I do and….."

"Matt, I believe she is there." Sora said.

"Huh…" Matt said.

"I do. I just so wish I had been there that night. Probably it is my conscience but I just somehow can't imagine Mimi…." Sora paused. She was struggling to say the word. Finally she did. "…..dead."

"I don't know what I believe but I will definitely help you if there is any chance that Mimi is alive and we can find her." T.K. said.

"Me too. It'd be the best thing that can happen if we do get Mimi back." Tai said.

"Unanimous!" Kari said.

"You mean you guys will actually help me look for her?" Matt said.

All four nodded their hands. Though besides Matt only Sora believed that Mimi was still alive. Tai, Kari and T.K. were really not sure about what they believed but since Matt was so apt for trying, it would not hurt to try since they had not really done much the last time.

"So…Mission Mimi begins!" Tai said.

* * *

**So how was it? This one won't be as long as 'Roses and Thorns' somewhere like 6 or 7 chapters and I'm posting another story today. It is not very romantic but it will only be a 3 chapter story. It is about a prank and will have some Taiora and Mimato. Do check it out! And don't forget to review!**

**Valechan 92; Thanks! Yeah it is very early now :D**

**Missylea; Thank you!I am very unpredictable! It just struck me all of a sudden. Originally I had wanted these to be two separate stories but I combined them.**

**Mimato love 4ever; Thanks!Well you will have to see :P**

**I love matt ishida; Thanks! You will know soon!**

**Mrs. Mimi Ishida; Thank you! Yeah she is being abused! You will see when and why soon!**


	3. Sora's Troubles

**CHAPTER 3 Sora's Troubles**

Tai was merely lying on the bed and simply thinking and thinking. At the moment he was thinking why he never felt interested in any girl. It was not that girls were not interested in him. They adored him. Many of them always gazed at him dreamily and would do anything to get as much as a glance from him but he somehow could never like those kind of girls. His thoughts diverted again but as they changed from one thought to another they always kept returning to one thought again and again…._Sora._

He wanted to do something which would make her happy. She was getting more and more depressed with each passing day. Her mother was literally tormenting her. After last night when they had been discussing all that stuff she had got another phone call from her mother. He did not know what they had had a conversation about but all he knew was that Sora had isolated herself from everyone. When Kari had gone to bed last night she was already asleep as Kari told him but he was sure that she was only pretending to be asleep. And ever since the morning she had been avoiding the house. He had no idea where she was.

He did not know why but he felt some strong sense of protection towards her. At first he had thought that it was similar to the way he felt towards Kari- like a brother but he had realized a few years later that it was something beyond that. At first he thought he loved her but no, Sora was his best friend and he couldn't love her could he? Then he drew the conclusion that he was very close to her and that is why he felt this way towards her.

As he was lost in his thoughts, the door to his room slammed open. He looked up to see who it was. It turned out to be Sora. And she did not look good. All the color had gone from her face. It was completely pale instead of her tanned complexion. Her eyes were bloodshot. She must have been crying for quite some time. Her hair was a perfect mess flying here and there and she looked very weak.

Tai jumped up from his bed at her sight. "Oh God Sora! What happened?"

"Huh?" Sora said.

"You! You look so ill!"

"Oh! I guess I forgot to look after my looks since last night." Sora said softly perching herself on Tai's bed.

Tai sat down beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" Tai said gently.

"She's calling me to meet her and she means it."

"But you said yesterday that you won't go."

Sora's eyes began to water but she held back her tears and said with great difficulty and managed to utter. "She…she th….th….threatened me that i…i..f I don't come th…th….then…" Sora began to cry uncontrollably.

Tai let her cry for sometime. Then when she had calmed herself down Tai whispered "Then what Sora?"

"She said that she will kill herself."

Tai glared at her for sometime not knowing exactly the right words to say. He was taken aback slightly and then he slowly said "She surely won't, would she?"

"Of course she will!" Sora said in her temporary teary voice. "She said what has she to live for any way when her own daughter detests her."

"So….." Tai began finally trying to bring himself to say what he feared the most. "Your career?"

"I don't know!" Sora said finally calming down and wiping away her tears. "She said that she had something important to discuss. I asked her if it was regarding that stupid flower shop."

"You called it stupid to her face?" Tai said slightly amused.

"Come on I was really mad. You don't need to rub that in."

"That must have got her really mad." Tai said.

"It did. Now do you want to listen or no?"

"Yeah Yeah Sorry!" Tai said.

"Then she said that she has to discuss something _more _important than that stinking flower shop. Imagine something more important than that… that _thing._ But I think it was another of her tactics to get me to Odaiba. She said that before the suicide thing so she might be trying to get me there and prevent me from coming back. And then you know the later she began on the killing herself thing."

There was a pause.

Then Sora began to well up again and placing her head on Tai's shoulder said "Now I don't know what to do. I don't want her take any drastic step because of me."

Tai placed his other hand round her and rubbed her back. "It'll all be fine."

"What do you think I should do Tai?"

Tai thought for a while about this. All the time Sora was weeping on his shoulder. He shuffled his feet a little then cleared his throat and spoke slowly carefully weighing each word trying not to offend Sora at all. "Sor…I think you should go because if you feel she is serious then there would be a tragedy and I am sure you will not want that, right?"

"Yeah I definitely won't. But Tai somewhere deep within I know there will be no coming back for me once I go."

"Don't think that. What are we sitting here for?"

Sora straightened up and looked him in the eye. "Meaning?"

"If you feel she isn't letting you return just give me a call and all of us will kidnap you from there and bring you here! And anyways all the other eight are in Odaiba we will somehow sneak you back here." Tai said very seriously.

Seeing him Sora grinned back at him. "But Tai it is not a laughing matter." She said getting serious again.

"I did not intend it to be. I mean it Sora." And looking at him she knew he was serious.

"But Tai there are chances she won't let me make calls."

Tai raised his eyebrow. "You're a legal adult you realize that?"

"Yeah but Tai you do know my mother." Sora said.

"Mmm…..hmmmm well then if you don't call us in two days time then we come and kidnap you anyways."

"Don't call it kidnap." Sora said hugging him tightly. "You always seem to make me feel better Tai."

"Ahem Ahem." T.K. said.

"How can somebody always be at the wrong place and at the wrong time?" Tai muttered.

"So you are finally getting official?" T.K. said.

"T.K. we are _not _getting together _ever. _So get the damn idea out of your head." Sora said.

"Yeah we are planning a kidnap." Tai added.

T.K. shrugged and moved out to the drawing room.

Kari was lying on the couch reading a book. She sat up to make space for T.K.

"What happened?" She asked T.K. resting her head on his lap.

"Tai and Sora."

Kari looked up to him. "Meant for each other." Kari said. T.K. leaned down and kissed her fore head.

"Yeah but still they seem convinced that they can never love. And it is not that that they do love but they are not ready to admit. They simply don't know it but somewhere deep down they do love each other. I am positive of it. Nobody can care for each other in the manner they do."

Kari was about to say something when Matt made another remarkable entrance only this time it was not the stormy kind from yesterday. He seemed pale and as he entered he dropped a flower vase placed near the door. It shattered into pieces and seemed to help Matt come out of shock.

Both T.K. and Kari jumped up.

"Matt are you alright?" T.K. said rushing to his brother followed by Kari.

"Uh..huh. I kind of didn't notice it." Matt said.

"But that vase was real huge. Are you well Matt?"

"Yeah. I just couldn't sleep last night."

T.K. looked at him disappointed. Of course he had not been able to sleep. He had been moaning and groaning the whole night and he had been murmuring something. T.K. had not been able to exactly make out what he was saying but he had a very good idea what it was.

"Where are you going Matt?" Sora's concerned voice said. The noise had driven Tai and Sora downstairs. T.K. came out of his thoughts and saw that Matt was making his way back out of the door.

"I….I need some fresh air."

"What else were you doing till now?" said Tai.

"I was at band practice." Matt said with a very dreamy gaze which reminded Kari strangely of Luna Lovegood in the beginning of the Order of Phoenix.

"Matt. Are you sure?" Tai said looking at him half scared that his best friend was turning into a mental case.

"Why?" Matt looked at him with a weird expression.

"Um….. Because you don't have your guitar." Kari pointed.

Matt looked at his hand apparently realizing for the first time that he didn't have it. "Oh damn it! I forgot it in that room." Matt made an irritated gesture. "Well I will go and get that anyways." He said walking out.

"That dream is having a real bad effect on him." Kari said.

"Should we consult a doctor?" T.K. said.

"Maybe…" Tai began but was cut off by Sora.

"No! He is not mad. I believe him. I believe Mimi is not dead and I will help him find her." She said. Then she added in a softer voice. "That is if you guys are successful in kidnapping me."

"Kidnapping you?" Kari looked at her quizzically.

"You said you guys are planning a kidnap. What _exactly _were you thinking of?"

Sora then narrated the entire story of her conversation with her mother and Tai's _bright _idea.

"It will actually be fun to do that." T.K. said.

Kari rolled her eyes at him.

"I hope that we don't have to." Sora said. "Listen Tai and I were planning to go to the disc. So we're leaving now."

It was then that T.K. and Kari noticed that Sora and Tai had changed into better clothes instead of the soccer T-shirts and shorts they had been wearing.

"I am losing sight too." T.K. muttered softly as Tai and Sora left.

Kari shrugged again. "T-K…" She said stressing on each syllable.

"Yeah babe." He said pulling Kari by the waist. "Now we have the house to ourselves. So….."

"So we clean up this mess and then think of something to get Tai and Sora together."

T.K. pouted and Kari kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

"Sora! NO! NO!" Tai said slapping his head. He noticed her drink her fourth glass of whiskey.

She banged the glass on the table. Her eyes were turning red and so were her cheeks. She paid no attention to what Tai was saying. "One more!" She said to the bartender who was finding the girl highly interesting.

Tai seeing that his words were having no effect on Sora whispered to the bartender. "Tell her it is over." The bartender looked at him narrowing his eyes. "I'll pay you." Tai said thrusting some money into his hand. The bartender smiled and nodded and said. "I am sorry Ma'am but all whiskey is over."

Sora banged her fists onto the table. "Damn the place they simply can't even hav….ave…whi…hi….sk….eyyyy." And Sora fainted on Tai.

Tai sighed. Again this was not the Sora he had known. The bartender came along. "Depression?" Tai gave him a look and he ran off to some other customer.

Tai lifted Sora in his arms and carried her to his car as fast as possible to avoid unnecessary attention. He made her lie on the back seat. The parking lot was deserted. He was just about to get into the driver's seat when he heard some sound and shuffling of feet rapidly. It was coming from the back side of the parking area.

Tai slowly moved towards that part trying to walk as slowly as possible so as not to make a sound and warn the people over behind the pillar. His heart was beating very fast again. There were a lot of cemented pillars in the area and a single wall at the end of which there was a small opening for people to walk in and out. Tai reached the very end of the wall and peered slowly from the opening.

There was a girl. She was gorgeous. Suddenly Tai couldn't take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful. She had long waist length jet black hair and green sparkling eyes. She was very tall and her long legs were looking great in a short turquoise dress. But she was not alone. There was a boy with her also and he was holding her wrist by one hand and her waist by the other.

"Let me go." The girl said trying to push her face away from his.

"Kiss me baby. Please..Once….It won't hurt you."

The girl was struggling to get away but the boy's grip seemed too strong for her. For a second Tai couldn't help thinking that had this been Sora the guy would be down on the ground with bruises all over his body. But the next second he shook his head. The girl was definitely not Sora and did not seem to have even a percent of her strength and what the hell was he doing standing and watching. He had to do something. He looked around and saw a broken steel pole lying nearby. Again he began to wonder from where it had come in. But just thankful that it was there he grabbed it and hit the boy with all his might.

The boy fell down holding his head but he was still conscious. He stared at Tai and then apparently afraid by his ferocious glare took the bee line and ran out of the place clutching his bleeding head.

"Are you alright?" Tai asked the girl.

"Yeah….yeah…Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tai said. He was still unable to take his eyes off her. "So what's your name."

"Jacqueline." The girl replied. "And you?"

"Taichi. You can call me Tai." Tai said.

"You were right on time."

Tai smirked at her. The kind of smirk he usually reserved for only Sora. "So what happened?"

"Oh." The girl hesitated a bit and then said confidently. "Actually my car stopped working outside the house of a friend where I had gone for a party. That guy was at the party and asked me if he could drop me home but he brought me here instead and well you saw the rest."

"Oh."

There was silence.

"Well you said that you don't have your car."

She nodded.

"I'll drop you then."

"Oh Thank you. You are a life saver and a great person."

Tai blushed totally mesmerized by her beauty and they made their way to his car.

* * *

Matt was kicking a stone as he walked along the street. It was the one just opposite to the one where their practice room was. He had grabbed his guitar and was just thinking about the only thing that was presently on his mind…..Mimi.

He had no idea how to look for her but yet he knew that he had to. He knew that wherever she was she was in grave danger or else she would have tried to establish some contact with him or anybody else. Something was just totally wrong.

Matt sighed as he stopped and stared at his shoes. He had had a happy perfect life. Just the life that anyone could have wanted but then that night it all tore apart everything got over.

He slowly lifted up his gaze and what he saw made his eyes widen. On the opposite side of the street he saw….. Mimi!

* * *

**Cliffhanger! So what do you guys think? Is Mimi really there or is Matt imagining things?**

**There will be lots of OCs in this one because I did not want to portray any Digidestined in the evil role. There will be two or three more besides Derek and Jacqueline. And well all of them will NOT be in a negative role. It is going to get better in the upcoming chapters(I hope). These are just somewhat introducing chapters. The main part begins from the next chapter. And please to the power of thousand review!**

**Ilovemattishida; Thanks! I might not end it with 6 or 7 chapters now. I am not sure right now. It depends on how much ideas I get!**

**Valechan92; Thanks! And no Mimi's disappearance is not a prank! I was talking about my other fic.**

**Mimatolove; Thank you! :D**

**Missylea; Thanks! :P**

**Mrs. Mimi Ishida; Thanks! :) **

**Lilyangel003; Thanks :D**


	4. Almost

**CHAPTER 4: Almost….**

Matt's heart began to throb. It felt as if it would burst out. He blinked several times to make sure he was not hallucinating but it turned out that it was not so. There was Mimi right across the road. She was in a horrifying condition. There was a pained expression on her once gorgeous face and she had bruises all over her hands, legs and face as if she had been in a big struggle. She even had a few cuts here and there. Her hair was not in their usual silky form but tattered and entangled up. She looked clearly petrified and seemed to not exactly know what to do. Her once beautiful figure was now gone. She looked excessively thin as if she had not been eating properly. There seemed to be dark circles under her eyes too though Matt was not sure in the dark.

Then she saw him…Matt…. Right there across the street. Their eyes met. Mimi managed to force a smile through her pained and bruised face and there was a tinge of relief across her face. Matt was too shocked to smile back but all he knew was that he had finally found her. He quickly moved towards her but was compelled to stop since two huge trucks came passing by that way.

Matt lost sight of her and tapped his foot impatiently trying to peep over looking for her waiting for the excessively slowly moving trucks. And they finally did vanish but to his horror by the time they did Mimi had vanished! He shook his head. He ran over to the other side. He couldn't lose her not so soon after he found her. He looked around desperately but she was nowhere to be found.

He couldn't take it anymore. There was barely anyone around since it was quite late at night and he fell to his knees on the foot path and cried his heart out. He had got her. She had been so close to him. For a moment he even thought that he had imagined Mimi but her state and that pain on her face-he couldn't possibly have imagined that. He still thought of her as the beautiful sweet Mimi he had always known.

"_I lost her again. If only I had not reacted so slow….." _ He thought as he punched the ground with his fist.

* * *

"I did not like the way she stared at me when she was leaving." Sora bellowed at Tai. "Or the whole while during the ride ever since I got up."

Tai laughed as he drove the car towards their apartment. "Actually Sora anybody would stare if when they entered the car and found a girl lying at the back seat totally drunk and then waking up in the middle of the ride and screaming and then giving a sulky expression."

"OK Fine as if Ms. Black-hair-green-eyes has never drunk even half a glass or ever lost control. And the only reason I screamed was because the last think I remembered was that I was in the disc drinking and then I wake up in the car so I thought that somebody was kidnapping or smuggling me or something and the reason I looked sulky was because I was embarrassed. Alright?" Sora screamed at him feeling irritated that she was unable to stop hot tears from springing out from her eyes.

Tai looked at her alarmed and wiped her tears from his free hand. "I…..I am sorry Sora. I was only joking."

"I know you were. It is not because of you." Sora said trying to gain control of herself as Tai rubbed her palm soothingly. _His touch feels so good._ Sora was shocked. She couldn't believe she had just thought that.

"Then?" said Tai.

"I am feeling angry at myself." Sora said. "I let myself carried away at the disc tonight. I let my frustration get the better of me-just what I did not want to happen. Well anyways- where did you get that girl anyways?"

Tai told her the whole tale with his eyes in front one hand on the steering the other still gently rubbing her palm.

"You like her don't you?" Sora said.

This caught Tai off guard. "Um….Well I am meeting her tomorrow for dinner."

"She asked you?"

"Yeah."

"I saw it in your eyes. You like her." Sora said. Strangely it made her feel bad and gave her an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She couldn't understand it. Tai pulled away his hand for a moment to rub his hair and then forgot to place it back apparently lost in thoughts about 'that girl with black hair and green eyes'. Sora somehow did not like to lose contact with his skin.

"I….I don't think Jacqueline will like me." Tai said.

Sora snapped into reality. "So Jacqueline's her name. Well it is too early to say you know. Wait for some time and be patient."

They had reached the apartment by that time and as they got off the car Tai said "Thanks Sora. You give the best advice and I can always rely on you."

More strangely that compliment made Sora blush and she had never ever blushed in her life if you did not count the times after soccer when she would be red from running.

But luckily Tai only took it to be the side-effects of the drinks she had had. She laughed and said "Well don't forget to kidnap me because of your Jacqueline."

Tai chuckled at that as he rang the door bell of the apartment.

* * *

He gave her a hard slap on the cheek. Another bruise formed there. Mimi petted the spot with her hand.

She had escaped from these hooligans and ran as fast as her hurt legs would carry her. And what more could she have wished for. As soon as she came to a halt right across the street her life's love was sanding. As gorgeous as ever. And they had been about to meet and then this guy had pulled her round the corner and had run away with her.

"Keep your head dude. She is precious!" A girl said.

"She ran off and what more ran straight into Ishida!" He kicked Mimi after that.

"Calm down!" The girl tried to pull him back. "Boss will not like that and if she gets too bruised she won't be fit for tomorrow and that old bat specifically wanted her you know."

The man nodded and then bent to look at Mimi's terrified eyes.

"One more time chick. I repeat one more time. And you see what I do to you."

He got up and turned to leave when Mimi shouted from behind. "Why don't you just kill me and let it be over with? I have gone through enough for the past three years."

The man was about to storm back at her but the girl held him back. "Cool! And you!' She said turning at Mimi. "We would have done away with you ages ago. We could have gotten somebody else to bring in the bucks but Boss seems to have some particular liking for you and that is why we endure you or I myself would have shot you dead right this moment."

She banged the door shut and locked it. Mimi was left alone tied up in roes in a cupboard sized room in which there was not even enough space to lie down. In fact there was only room for the crouching figure of Mimi. There were cobwebs and occasionally a rat or two would appear from somewhere. Mimi was now no longer scared if the spiders and rats. In fact they seemed to be the only good company she had had for the past few years.

She cried bitterly after that. Will there ever be an escape for her? She had lived three years full of torture-how much more. All she wanted was to be in Matt's arms and cry her heart out again on his chest and feel his soft breath on her cheek and his lips on her own. With these thoughts she fell asleep dreaming about Matt.

* * *

"Just if those trucks hadn't come…" Kari had tears in her eyes. So did Sora she couldn't imagine Mimi in the state Matt described her. Matt of course was constantly crying and even Tai and T.K. seemed on the verge of tears.

Matt's head suddenly snapped up at Kari's words. "Now that I come to think of it the trucks were moving with an unusually slow speed and usually there are no trucks around in that area."

"Yeah…." Tai said slowly. "That can only mean one thing. It was a set up by those who have Mimi to prevent you two from meeting."

"I really can't understand why they want Mimi and are treating her in this manner." Sora said.

"I had a theory that it was one of her fan boys but I don't think they would be so cruel to her." Matt said getting tears again.

"No they won't. So that is slashed off." T.K. said. "But well more important than the reason we need to get to Mimi somehow. She is clearly being abused and we will have to save her."

"Since you found her near that room there is a chance she might be somewhere nearby. Let's go check around there tomorrow morning. It is an isolated place anyway." Tai said.

"Yeah I have to leave in the afternoon." Sora said making a face.

After some time more of talking they finally all went to bed.

This time Matt had another bad dream and saw Mimi locked in a small wardrobe sized room crying.

* * *

**Well I am jinxed! First my laptop crashed and now my internet connection blasts off. Well here is the next chapter. Sorry for disappointing guys but I couldn't let them meet that easily! And don't forget to review.**

**Missylea; Thanks! Yeah they will be OCs mainly because I don't want to portray anyone as bad and I don't hate anyone in the show except maybe Joe and Jun.**

**Mimato love; Thanks. You are close but there is more to it.**

**Lilyangel003; Thanks! You will know soon!**

**Mrs. Mimi Ishida; Thanks. I will add some extracts about Mimi from now onwards.**

**Ilovemattishida; Thanks! Their interaction will happen soon though not directly. **


	5. So Far

**CHAPTER 5: So Far**

Sora tossed and turned on her bed. She was squeezing her eyes very tightly. She began to sweat and finally woke up. Her head felt too dizzy. She clutched her auburn hair in frustration. She was getting disturbed. All her assurances to herself and Tai's words were all going waste. She had had a dream in which she was sitting in the flower shop and working with nasty smelling flowers. Then the scene changed and Tai and Jacqueline were a happy couple and they had black haired kids. But why was Tai and Jacqueline being together bothering her? It shouldn't be but it was. Then she shook her head. She had not been upset about the Tai-Jacqueline thing, she was bothered about the flower shop. But she had had the flower shop dream before and never had her reaction been like this. Probably it was this close to happening that is why…..but she had been bothered when the second scene came up.

She shook her head again and ran her hand through her hair. She was thinking too much. She looked at Kari who was lying onto the next bed sleeping peacefully. She had to talk to someone. She began to debate whether she should wake Kari up or not. But then she thought that she simply had to because she would burst if she did not talk to someone and Kari was just perfect. She usually talked to Tai about all her problems but this time she could not possibly tell Tai anything.

She reached out for her and gently shook her. "Kari?"

Kari not being a very deep sleeper unlike her brother woke up instantaneously. She sat up immediately.

"Sora? Are you alright?" She asked looking at her.

"Yeah. I am fine. i…..Sorry to disturb you but I really need to talk to someone and talk now."

"Why the hell are you apologizing? You can talk to me anytime!"

Sora smiled at her weakly

"So is it about you going to Odaiba tomorrow?" Kari continued sitting up straighter on her bed and looking directly at Sora on the next one.

"Partly and partly about something else."

She began to tell her about the flower shop in her dream.

"But you have had that dream before haven't you?"

"Yeah but never was this impact. I concluded that maybe it was so close that is why I was having this type of reaction."

"Sora I guess Tai has already told you a million times but I am telling you again. You will have to be brave. It is your life and you just can't give in. You need to trust yourself. Firstly you need to believe in yourself and then only will you be able to make your mother believe in you. You need to stop thinking about the wrong and start thinking about the right. Stop thinking that you will ever have to work there. Instead think if you succeed and clear the interview on Monday then where will you be. You know dreams are merely our thoughts and it is because you are constantly having a pessimistic outlook that you are getting such dreams." Kari said.

"Yeah thank you. It was good to talk to you." Sora said but something in Kari's last sentence had caught her. _Dreams are merely our thoughts._ Had she really been having brainwaves about Tai and Jacqueline?

"And?"

"Huh…."

"You said it was only partly about the shop. What is the remainder about?"

Sora hesitated for a second. Kari noticed her hesitation.

"Come on split it out. It always helps to talk."

"OK I will tell you but Kari please promise me that you won't say anything about it to Tai."

"Alright." Kari said beginning to wonder what could be such a thing that Sora did not want Tai to know.

Sora inhaled sharply and then said. "In the second scene of my dream I saw that Tai and Jacqueline were married and they had gorgeous black haired kids like her and I know I should not be bothered and I even encouraged Tai to go with her to dinner today and….."

"Hold on hold on hold on!" Kari interrupted. "Who in the world is Jacqueline?"

"Oh! I am so sorry. After hearing about Mimi and all I totally forgot her!" Sora said and began narrating the entire episode of the disc. How she had drunk too much and she was lying unconscious in Tai's car and how Tai saved her from the guy and seemed to be falling for her.

Kari paused for a while thinking.

"Well?" Sora said. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing just that don't you think it is a little weird."

"What is weird?"

"This Jacqueline. I mean she pops up so suddenly into the then empty parking place and besides she would have realized where he was taking her. Or even if she did not she would have seen the sign in the parking lot."

"What are you trying to say?" Sora said but she had guessed a little.

'What I am trying to say is that for any girl who realized that she has been brought to a place where they were not intending to go and had realized something suspicious why would she just get out of the car and walk somewhere? She should be putting up a struggle right in the car and the location you say Tai described seemed to be the very centre away from any cars. If she was struggling so much just on one spot for so long that Tai could walk the whole distance and hit the guy she would have taken some time to get to the spot."

Sora stared at her as realty dawned on her. "So you are basically saying that she is playing some trick on us?"

"I am not saying it definitely. It is just a possibility. Maybe the incident with Mimi has just taught us to be extra careful."

Sora nodded.

"Sora… I know I shouldn't be asking this but can you possibly feel something for Tai as a little more than a friend?"

"Kari I have told you guys this before God knows how many times that both Tai and I love each other just as friends and as nothing more than that and it'll always be like this."

"OK. But I can give you only this explanation for your worried dream."

"No. I guess I did have some idea of what you just said and probably that is what was rotating in my head which worried me." Sora lied. Before that she had not even thought 1% of Kari's theory.

Kari shrugged and she too lied. "Maybe." She knew very well Sora was lying.

"But well what you just said was intelligent." Sora said.

"You said you had some idea." Kari challenged jumping at the opportunity.

"Um…I mean I did found her suspicious but I was unable to draw such awesome conclusions. Thanks a lot Kari. I will be able to sleep better now. It was a relief talking to you."

"Anytime." Kari smiled and said. "Good night or morning rather."

"GN." Sora mumbled already on the verge of sleep and slept as soon as her head touched the pillow.

But Kari could not go to sleep. She lay thinking. What was wrong with these two? Sometimes the two of them would drive her mad to her wits end. It was annoying how they acted. T.K. had a point . They were totally unaware of the fact that they were in love. But well it seemed that at least Sora was realizing something was in her heart about Tai. She knew it was Tai marrying another girl fact that troubled her. And thinking of that she would have to see this Jacqueline. They were going to dinner today…

Kari jumped out of bed and ran out of her room. She entered her brother's room which he was sharing with T.K. She was not afraid to wake Tai or anything since it would take an earthquake or even more than that to wake Taichi Yagami.

"T.K." She whispered shaking him. "T.K. wake up!"

T.K. woke with a start. "What…how…"

"Come out." Kari said. Even though Tai was in a deep sleep, she did not want to risk being overhead or anything.

"This better be good." T.K. said flopping down on the sofa yawning ruffling his blonde hair.

"You bet it is." Kari said and she narrated him the entire stuff about Sora's dream and what happened in the parking area with Tai and about Tai's date with Jacqueline.

"You are not going to sabotage their date, are you?" T.K. said getting somewhat scared for he did not want to be involved in something like that.

"Duh…..no. I am going to follow him."

T.K. groaned. "So you want to stalk your own brother." This was as good as sabotaging. If Tai came to know he would definitely spare Kari but he would be dead meat.

"T.K." Kari said shaking her head. "Don't you realize? I just told you my theory. She could be a danger to Tai!"

"Are you sure you are not worrying too much because of what happened with Mimi." T.K. said.

"It has taught us something. Tai is pretty reckless and he is ten times more capable of getting himself into trouble than Mimi ever was. And this entire business is a little out of the place. I mean when except probably in movies does it happen that a girl is being troubled in the middle of a deserted parking area and a guy goes to rescue her and also happens to find and abandoned steel bar lying there? Something's fishy out there T.K. and I am going to go there with or without you."

T.K. looked at her closely. He saw something in her eyes that told him that she meant business. "Kari. I will always be with you. No matter what. And if this means something to you I will come with you." He said edging closer to her. They kissed and Kari hugged him. They just sat there and slowly fell asleep in each other's arms.

Matt walked into the living room three hours later.

He cleared his throat loudly causing T.K. and Kari to jump up. "You better hope Tai doesn't see that."He said marching out to practice.

T.K. and Kari blushed and pulled apart. Then Kari jumped up and said. "So what? I don't care about that. It's my life!" She said storming in.

T.K. stared after her blank. It took him some time to realize that it was about Tai. He smiled. Tai did give them looks sometimes but mostly did not bother about them like he did when they were younger. But Matt never lost a chance to pick on them cause he would shield on them from Tai when they were younger. He sighed as he thought about his brother in the past. How different he had been. Mimi going had totally changed. He just hoped that they would somehow find Mimi. It was only she who could give Matt back is life. But judging by what he had heard she would be the one more in need of a life.

He sighed. Why was all this happening to them?

* * *

"Matt…Do you think I made a mistake in getting Derek?"

"Has it not been about six years since you got him, Kevin?"

"Um. Yeah. But lately you two seem to be on the knife's end."Kevin said. This was true. Matt and Derek were not on good terms ever since the sound episode. Matt had recalled everything and had begun to suspect him. He and Mimi had barely ever talked but again none who had a crush on her or any of her fan boys would treat her this way. He boiled on thinking of her state.

"It's time you two." Someone called and he took the mike and flung his guitar over her. He was almost on the verge of tears but pushed them back. The song was so similar to the way he was feeling. He forced the lyrics out of the his mouth.

_Tonight I feel so cold and lonely  
And baby you're so far away  
The space between us keeps on growing  
How I wish you could hear me when I say_

_No,no,no,no,no,no,no  
Wish you could hear me saying  
No,no,no,no,no,no,no_

This was exactly how he felt. Mimi was so far from him. He wanted to tell her so much but he could not.

_Oh, I miss you, oh, I miss you__  
__Oh, baby, since you walked away__  
__Oh, I miss you, oh, I miss you__  
__I miss you more and more each day_

_Now tell me do you think about me?  
Coz I think about you all the time  
A million miles just stand between us  
But I don't wanna stop until you're mine_

_No,no,no,no,no,no,no  
Wish you could hear me saying  
No,no,no,no,no,no,no_

He needed Mimi. He thought about her all the time and wondered how often she'd think about him. He stopped. He couldn't sing further.

"Guys I guess it is enough for today. We have been practicing for a long time." Matt said.

The others shrugged. They were tired so they never bothered questioning Matt why he stopped mid-song and called off practice. Everyone went out and Matt sat down on a chair sighing. Derek stood and stared at Matt.

"What?" Matt snapped.

Derek was about to say something but stopped and walked off.

Matt hung back his head frustrated. The others should be there soon. He did not even know what to think. Mimi's poor state kept coming back to him again and again. Why would somebody do something like that to her? Just if he could know the name of the person who was doing this…well the day he did, it would be the last day of the man on Earth.

* * *

Meanwhile at their apartment the others were just leaving. Sora and T.K. walked out. Tai was about to follow but Kari pulled him back.

"What?"

"Heard you are going on a date today."

Tai almost fell over. He stared at her. How the hell had she known?

"Sora told you?" he asked.

"No I heard you guys talking near the car last night." She lied smoothly.

"But you were inside with Matt and T.K. when we came back."

"No I wasn't I had walked in seconds before you did. I had just gone to the grocery store so I walked and heard you guys. You were loud you know." Kari then realized that she was an excellent liar. Lies were just flowing out of her mouth.

"Um…..yeah… Her name is Jacqueline." And then Tai told her the tale she had already heard from Sora but did not let it show. She also did not put forth her theories in front of him since she very well knew he wouldn't believe her and would shrug it off and if by chance he did then he might show it in front of this Jacqueline girl.

"So where are you taking her?"

"Now _that _is none of your business. Sorry."

"Says the guy who would pester me like hell to know where I was going on dates huh."

Tai rolled his eyes and began to make his way out. Kari blocked his way. "Matt is not going to like waiting and T.K. and Sora won't like to see you on the ground."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "You can never win against me in a wrestling."

"You won't hit me so I will have the advantage." Kari shrugged.

"OK fine. Just stop troubling me." He told her the place where they were going just for the sake to get it over with. "Now can we please go? We are going for something which has the biggest priority and is by far more important than my dates."

Kari smiled in triumph and followed Tai out.

* * *

**The place where Matt had seen Mimi**

They had all spread out and were looking here and there for some sign of a room or underground passage and Tai had gone as far as to imagine a cave earning him an if-looks-could-kill glare from Matt.

Towards the backside there was an abandoned land which had once been under construction. The stuff was still lying here and there. They could not find any sort of concealment or anything. Matt was getting flustered.

But they did not know that just a little bit further from there, there was a room where the workers used to relax and an office of the manager which had now been converted to residential areas but they were in a far corner and had gone unnoticed by both Kari and Matt when they passed from there. But again through the staff's room there was a connecting room which was used to keep the construction stuff and which was now Mimi's. The window opened outwards exactly at the place where Tai was now wandering about.

Mimi had been asleep in there. She was pretty tired after the previous night's exertion. She slowly stirred and got up. She got up slowly. She was still bound by the ropes. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice. The voice of the man she loved a lot and about whom she had just been dreaming. Matt's voice.

"Tai! Anything around there."

"Not that I can see. I am still looking though."

That was Tai's voice and closer to her than Matt's had been.

"OK" Matt again.

Were Tai and Matt somewhere here? She had to attract their attention somehow. She shouted. "Matt Matt! Tai!"

Nothing. She knew it. Screaming was useless. The thick cement and the thick black glass of the window prevented any sound from escaping. Matt couldn't hear her. Oh they were so close again and yet they were so far.

Tai was still looking around. He suddenly noticed the window. "Matt Sora! Come quick. I guess I have found something!"

Mimi heard Tai scream. Had he seen the window. And Sora was there too. She heard footsteps running in that direction.

"What is it?"

Kari? Kari was there too.

"The window." Tai said.

"That is it." She heard Matt say.

"And what are you doing here?" This was another familiar voice but not the voice of her friends. Her heart sank.

The five turned round to look into the face of a security guard. They had just been about to go near the window. He looked angry.

"Um…..we were just looking around." Tai said.

"This area is out of bounds. You are trespassing."

"Sorry but have you seen recently anybody….. A girl with somebody come around here." Matt said.

"No I have not. I told you this is out of bounds. Government property. So please get out."

Mimi's heart sank. This guard was not a guard and neither was this government property nor was he telling the truth about seeing the girl with two villains.

"OK OK Keep your head. We are going."

She heard T.K. say.

She pushed her head against the wall. Again just by the interval of a few seconds she had lost Matt once again.

* * *

"Well if there is a security guard out there it is not possible that they are operating from there." T.K. said once they were home.

"Yeah….." Matt said. "Maybe Mimi had run from somewhere."

Tai and Sora were not home. Sora had had to leave immediately since she was getting late and Tai had gone to drop her. She had wanted to stay but Matt had firmly told her not to because it would only add to their problems if things with her mother got any worse.

Just then Matt's phone rang. "Who is this now?" He muttered seeing an unknown number hoping that it was not one of his fans calling to annoy him. He was not in the mood at all.

"Hello."

"Matt." Mimi's voice was relieved. She had been scared that maybe Matt had changed his number or won't pick up the phone.

"Mimi." Matt stood up. T.K. and Kari did the same. "Where are you? Are you okay. You seemed…."

"Matt I don't have time. Listen. You guys were at the correct place. That window Tai saw that was the room where I was. You guys were tricked. "

"Mimi…. Who the hell is that fucker who is doing all this to you?"

"It's D…" The phone went off.

"Mimi…Mimi…Hello?" Matt said. "Damn it."

Mimi glanced at the phone. How so like this man not to get a recharge she said throwing the phone.

Matt met the questioning looks of T.K. and Kari. "We were total idiots."

* * *

**So here it is. Hope it was okay. I am going to add some more bits of Takari because I have suddenly begun to love the couple but don't worry the major portion will be Taiora and Mimato. So please tell me what you think will happen next? I want to know what you guys are thinking. When I start writing a story I just know the beginning and then I can't plan anything but it just comes to me when I write. It is more like my fingers think than my brain lol! Now I know the end but I dunno how to take it but I know that when I write I'll know! Well probably I have just confused you! Oh and the song used was 'Miss You' by Enrique. Please review! **

**Ilovemattishida; **You'll know soon. I don't want to say anything now :D Thanks for the review!

**Mimato love 4ever; ** You will have to see that :P Thanks for the review!

**Missylea; **Thanks for the review! You bet he will!

**Lilyangel003; **Thanks for the review. You will know soon.

**EmoPrincess21; **They are not in the story right now. They might me there later. Izzy and Yolei might be there in the next chapter. Not sure 'bout Joe though. Thanks for the review.


	6. Hasty Decisions

**CHAPTER 6: Hasty Decisions**

"Kevin….."

"Derek I can't and you had better not either."

"But….."

"No!"

"And Diana."

Kevin stiffened for a moment not moving. "Not for you to bother." He replied coolly.

"Yeah, right it is for you to bother." Derek shrugged and before Kevin could say anything else he ran off.

Kevin stared into the darkness. He heard footsteps approaching from the back. He turned abruptly around. He saw a slim figure female figure approaching. A girl with platinum blonde hair and aqueous eyes was seen as she came into the light. Kevin was a little relieved on seeing that it was only her.

"What's the news, Claudia? Has he cooled off as yet?"

"Somewhat." She said. She had a typical soft girlish voice and she spoke in almost a whisper.

Kevin gave her a questioning look.

"He is firm Kevin. We are moving."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Odaiba. Of course he will want to go there."

"You should not be saying this considering it was your mistake three years ago….."

"I know I know. You do not need to remind me of that."

"Well he is gone. And I'll take Mimi today. It is not safe here in any case."

"He would have gone anyways today." Kevin muttered.

Claudia ignored Kevin straight back and went on. "You of course will have to be staying to keep an eye on Yamato and his friends and well their keyboard player can't vanish off. He is suspicious of Derek as it is."

Kevin shrugged.

"I am leaving." Claudia said.

"Don't care to meet your boyfriend?" Kevin said tauntingly as she turned her back on him and this caused her to stop dead in her tracks.

Then she slowly said. "Mind your own business Kevin."

* * *

Matt drove as quickly as possible. T.K. and Kari had to practically clutch at the seat to prevent from flying off.

"Matt…Matt it is going to seriously cause delay if the traffic police were to stop us." T.K. shouted at him.

"I bloody don't care." Matt said. He was filled with rage at being fooled in this manner. It had been so easy. The thought of Mimi and her scars and bruises made him see red. He was annoyed at himself for letting her go for the third time. He was blaming himself for her condition. He went on pressing the accelerator. Water began to come out of Kari's eyes due to the fast speed as she clutched at T.K.'s arms finally T.K. and Kari were pushed off to the front as Matt suddenly pushed the break. T.K. caught hold of Kari to prevent her from getting hurt but he himself banged his head on Matt's seat but Matt was already out of the car. T.K. and Kari also got out with T.K. rubbing his head vigorously.

They all stopped dead in the tracks.

The whole place was totally different from when they had seen it that very morning. There were numerous media cars as well as ambulances. And the most prominent were a number of police cars. Something had surely happened there since when they had last visited it this morning.

Matt, T.K. and Kari simply stared at the scenario in front of them. T.K. forgot about his head.

"What's happened here?" Kari whispered.

"Excuse me!" T.K. called to a passer-by.

He was an old fellow and gave T.K. a total blank expression.

"Er…" T.K. said slightly uneasy due to his null expression. "Could you tell us what exactly happened here?"

"Don't you know?"

"Um…."

"If we knew we wouldn't be asking, would we?" Matt snapped.

The old man gave him an annoyed expression like Gennai's. "Murder."

Kari gasped. T.K. winced. But Matt looked as if the words were taking time to sink in.

"A girl was found dead here." With that the old man walked off.

Matt stared after him as if there was no world left. Mimi…if it was her…it'd be his fault. Totally his fault. No….She couldn't die.

Just then the crowds began to part as a dead body was being carried that way. It was being brought towards the ambulance next to which they were standing.

Matt felt numb and cold. This was it. He'd have to see. He couldn't let the suspense hang in forever but as the stretcher approached them he couldn't bring himself to look but he just caught a glimpse of red hair…..red hair….. Relief swept over him. He had probably never felt so relieved in his life. He had to stop himself from smiling.

He turned to look at Kari and T.K. and they had exactly the same expression on their face as he had.

They then turned to look at the body being mounted on the ambulance. The girl had a beautiful face but it was hanging loose. Apparently her neck had been broken.

"I have seen her somewhere." Matt said.

"Where?" T.K. asked.

"I can't remember…"

"I do." Kari said turning slightly pale but not as pale as she had when she had thought that it was Mimi.

"Who is she?" T.K. said.

"Don't you two remember? That was Diana….."

T.K. and Matt stared at her for sometime as comprehension dawned on them.

"Diana…. Kevin's girlfriend." Matt said slightly shocked. They had met Diana only once or twice and she had seemed quite good.

Now they could see the police cars diminishing but the media stood glued.

"They must have moved Mimi or else the police would have found her." T.K. said. Kari nodded. But Matt was too lost in his thoughts. What if something had happened to Mimi too just like Diana. She had been here after all. No he must not be so pessimistic. She'd be alright. But he needed to be alone for sometime.

"Matt?" T.K. was looking at him worried.

He took out the car keys and thrust them in T.K.'s hands. "You and Kari go home."

"And you?" T.K. asked.

"I will come by myself."

"How?"

"I will get a taxi. Please and I will be will be alright T.K. Stop worrying so much." With that he walked off.

"How rude." T.K. said.

"I remember the same dialogue coming through someone else's mouth…" Kari said.

T.K. looked down embarrassed. 'Sorry. I understand him now."

"Let's go T.K. Matt really needs space right now. Come on." And she pulled her boyfriend away with her.

* * *

Sora was standing outside her house at the moment. She lifted her hand to ring the door. Then hesitated and pushed her hand back in her jeans pocket. She had already done that five times. She just stood there like an idiot then finally she pushed forth all the courage inside her and rang the doorbell.

She stood waiting shaking uncomfortably. The night was unusually chilly. She felt very cold in her white polo T-shirt and blue jeans. She shook some hair of her face and was about to ring the bell again when finally it was opened.

The door was not opened by her mother as she had been expecting. She had not thought that anyone else was there. But here she found herself staring into the face of a most handsome boy. He had black messy hair and brown eyes. His body was very well built and he was wearing only a vest which was perfectly showing off his well built body and muscles.

Sora reaDianaed that she was staring at him and immediately removed her gaze from him. The boy noticed this and he laughed. The laugh resembled somebody's but Sora was too mesmerized by his looks to notice. She felt herself melting for him all of a sudden.

"You are Sora?"

Sora snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yeah. And you happen to be?"

"Call me Daniel. I am the son of an old friend of your mother. I was in the city and needed a place to stay and Mrs. Takenouchi was kind enough to let me stay during my visit.

"Oh."

"So are you just gonna stand there Sora? This is your house!"

Sora reaDianaed what a fool must she be looking standing out there in the cold asking him all about himself. She stepped inside.

"Sora!" Daniel moved aside and Sora saw her mother approaching her looking happy to see her for once. And she hugged her. Sora was surprised by this. She had never been welcomed in this way at home- if this place could be called home. She was more happy calling their tiny apartment home. Because she knew that the people over there loved her and cared for her unlike this place.

As she hugged her Mrs. Takenouchi whispered something in her ear. "Well you and I have to talk."'At once Sora pulled away. This was not true affection or anything. This was just a show for Daniel.

She nodded at her mother.

**Later that night; **

Sora was with her mother in the kitchen. Now she was finally going to know what this was all about.

"So Sora. What do you think of Daniel?"

Sora was surprised that she actually blushed at the mention of Daniel. What was happening to her? She was not the kind to get swayed by looks but after talking to Daniel….

"Sora?"

"He….he's nice."

Sora's mother smiled. "You still want to continue with your designing stuff. Well I will not stop you."

Sora's heart was filled with hope. She was actually allowing her to continue with her ambition. Whoa! What had happened? She must have hit her head or something. "You mean you don't want me to work in that fucki…. I mean flower shop."

"Let's make a bargain Sora."

Sora mentally kicked herself. She should have seen this coming. Her mother would never give in that easily of course. What could she possibly want? All sorts of terrible ideas were going through her head.

"What?"

"Marry Daniel."

Sora stared at her. What exactly was her mother trying to say. She had met Daniel barely three hours ago and she was telling her to marry him. What crap was she talking? Had she lost all her senses? This was absurd. Then finally maintaining her calm she said.

"I have just met him Mom."

"I am sorry you have to give me your final decision before tomorrow afternoon." Her mother smirked and walked out.

Sora stared after her. What was all this. This was crazy. But Daniel is so hot…..No No….She did not know him. He is handsome… NO!

That night Sora tossed and turned in her bed. She could just now call Tai and run off from the place but something was holding her back. She had something for Daniel. It was something like love-at-first sight.

Daniel did seem nice and besides if she could pursue what she liked without being at war or on the run from her mother. It wouldn't hurt. Yes that is it. She got up and left her bed. She walked down and saw Daniel was sitting on the couch reading. She went near him. Daniel put aside his book and looked at her. "Sora?"

"Daniel. I…I never believed in this but I guess I have had love-at-first-sight and I love you." She said.

Daniel stared at her for a moment. She suddenly realized how she had reacted. She did not…no she did not love Daniel. She had reacted on the spur of the moment. Oh God! What was she doing? No No No. She saw Daniel's lips slowly turn into a smile. No No please say no. But of course he was pulling her towards himself and he was kissing her.

She had to inform him. She had to tell him that it was wrong. She made a mistake but then she heard an excited squeal from the door. Her mother…."Oh! I knew you'd do this Sora!"…NO….No

* * *

"Kari!" said T.K. "Kari look Tai's car."

"Oh! Drat T.K.! Tai had his date with Jacqueline!"

"Um….Kari. They are making out." T.K. said squinting his eyes to see through the black glass but it did appear that two people were kissing.

Kari stared. Why was her brother being so reckless. He had just met Jacqueline!

Concurrently in the car Tai was kissing Jacqueline and she was kissing back.

"I love you Tai…."

* * *

**So what do you think will now happen to Tai and Sora? And sorry if your head is spinning with the O.C.s but there is only one more left now! Oh and don't think wrongly of Sora. There is a BIG reason why she acted like that you will know in the last chapter. It will probably be the tenth chapter. Not sure as yet of the number. And thanks to all you awesome reviewers. I have got many of them and never expected so many! Thanks a lot guys. A good response is motivating me to write. Oh and sorry for the too short chapter. I will try to make the next one longer.**

**Lilyangel003; **You'll know soon :D

**EmoPrincess21; **Sorry they won't get to her that easily!

**Missylea; **Yeah! I am beginning to feel bad for Mimi myself!

**Mimatolove; **Thanks! No now they don't know where she is! Hehe.

**Yami Ishida; **Thanks. Yeah it'll all be explained and there will be more Mimato soon.

**I love matt ishida; **Thanks so much! And I value everyone's words no matter if you write or not :D

**Mrs. Mimi Ishida; **Thanks. She wasn't actually caught but they knew that the others had come to know of their location.

**Mimi; **Nice review style :) You'll meet Matt soon :D

**LuciferMoza35; **Thanks. You will see everything soon :)


	7. Break Up

**CHAPTER 7: Break Up**

"Kari…"

"No No No I just can't believe he can be such an idiot."

"Kari….."

"With a girl he met only a day before."

"Kari….."

"In the car!"

"Kari…"

"Unbelievable!"

"Kari!"

Kari gave T.K. an annoyed look. "What is it, T.K.?"

"Calm down."

Calm down? My brother is making a hell out of his life and you are telling me to calm down."

"Look you can't say that what he did is wrong. We have no solid evidence against this Jacqueline and Tai is mature enough to know what is right for him and what is not."

"OK and what about Sora?"

"Well, remember when we were younger people were quite sure that you and Davis will get together but eventually they forgot once you and me got together and Davis and Yolei got together."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I mean that it might not always be necessary what we think is correct. Tai and Sora know what is best for them better than we do."

"T.K. come on. That incident at the parking lot- and I strongly feel that- could not have been a co-incidence. It was a well planned game."

It was T.K's turn to be annoyed now. "Are you trying to say that everyone in the world is after us only? First Mimi now Tai."

"So you don't agree with me?" Kari said.

"You're being impractical!"

"Fine then. I have nothing to say to you. Good bye Takeru Takaishi."

T.K.'s anger cooled down as Kari walked off.

"Kari…wait." He called but Kari had already stormed out and he heard her bolt the door of her room from inside.

T.K. flopped down on his bed and face in his hands. What had he done? He had promised to support Kari and here he had probably caused their break up. Thinking of it with a calm mind it was very canny that Jacqueline had come till the centre of the parking lot. But he still couldn't see how this could be connected with Mimi's disappearance. But well he would think of all that later on. Right now he somehow had to make up to Kari. He was thinking on this line when the doorbell rang.

_Maybe Kari will come out now. _T.K. thought and so he waited for sometime but the doorbell continued to ring and no Kari. T.K. got up and saw that the door to Kari's room was open. He kicked himself mentally. He must have been so lost in his own world that he had not heard Kari move out. The doorbell rang again this time twice and thrice at a time. The person ringing the bell was definitely getting annoyed. T.K. was shaken out of his thoughts as he rushed downstairs to the door. He was mentally getting lost pretty often that night.

It turned out to be Tai who was ringing the bell.

"What took you so long?" Tai said.

"I…..uh….I was sleeping."

Tai eyed him. "You sure don't look like that." He let it hang just like that and T.K. was relieved that he didn't question him further.

"So where are Matt and Kari?" Tai said as he grabbed a juice can out of the refrigerator.

"Well a lot has happened since you and Sora went out."

T.K. began to narrate about Mimi's phone call and the episode at the construction site.

"Mimi called?" Tai repeated.

"Yeah. At least we know that she is alive now. I really can't say alright."

"And who is this…..uh…..Diana did you say?"

"You have met her. Kevin's girlfriend…. You know the guy who's the keyboard player in Matt's band."

"Uh yeah…..that strange guy who has dyed his hair bluish grey just for the sake of it."

"Yeah that one." T.K. actually felt like laughing at the way Tai said it.

"But you guys shouldn't have let Matt go of like that. You know how he is these days."

"Yeah we tried to get him to come with us but he was persistent."

"And Kari?"

T.K. winced. He had been hoping that Tai's mind would get clouded by the story he was telling him and forget about Kari but who had he been trying to fool. Tai can never forget about Kari even though he may forget himself. Unfortunately for him Tai noticed his wince.

"Where is Kari?" He said in a louder voice getting a little scared.

"I….uh….. We had a little figh…. misunderstanding and Kari walked out and I don't know where she is now."

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE MY SISTER IS?" Tai yelled at him.

"Tai…I…. she went to her room and I….I really don't know when she walked out." T.K. almost had tears in his eyes. Tai's shout had given him an adrenalin rush and besides if anything like what happened to Mimi happened to Kari it will all be his fault.

"So you are saying that first you were a jerk to my sister and then you let her walk off at damn midnight all by herself! Not expected that from you." Tai said as he walked off.

"Tai wait I'll come too." T.K. said as he rushed after Tai.

* * *

"Come on quicker Izzy."

"It is not easy hacking into the property registrar's personal account Matt. It is a very tightly securitized one and has an excellent firewall." Izzy replied.

Izzy was there to visit for a few days but because there had been no place in the apartment he was staying in a hotel and it was in his hotel room where they were right now there faces glued to Izzy's laptop. Matt had been walking all alone along a deserted pavement when an idea had struck him suddenly. They could come to know who the owner of the construction site was by hacking into the system of the Property registration office since it was definitely not government property and since Izzy was here- who else was better to do the job and would not think he was insane.

"Done!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Really?" Matt said almost jumping. "Whom does it belong to?"

"Um…..Matt you really are not going to like this."

"Izzy who is it?" Seeing that Izzy was silent he looked over his shoulder at the name on the screen.

So his suspicions were confirmed…. "Derek…" He slowly said. He did not know why but he felt surprised. He had known that Derek was up to something but somehow he had been hoping that it was not Derek. Though weird as he was he did not seem to be loose in character but it turns out that he was. Matt tried to swallow the anger raging inside him and calmly spoke in a controlled voice. "I should have reacted earlier."

"React now. It is never too late." Izzy said.

"I still feel uncomfortable about it being Derek."

"Maybe there is some mistake? Maybe he is just being used?" Izzy suggested.

Matt was about to say something when he shut his mouth as he remembered his last phone conversation with Mimi.

"_Mimi... Who the hell is that fucker who is doing all this to you?_

"_It's D…"_

"D…" He said.

"Huh…." Izzy said.

"Derek….."

"Matt?" Izzy said staring at him.

Matt looked up to him. "It is him Izzy. It is Derek."

Izzy gave him a questioning look.

"Remember I told you about the phone call Mimi made to me?"

"Yeah." Izzy said.

"I just remembered she said something else too."

"What?"

"I asked her who was behind all this. She could not complete her statement but she said that it's D… Meaning the name of that person starts with a 'D'. And the only three people we know whose name starts with 'D' are Davis, Diana and Derek. There is not even a 0.0000001% chance that Davis would do something like that. Diana is dead. That leaves only Derek."

"But Diana definitely had some connection to this coz her body was found over there."

"Yeah. She does but the master mind definitely is Derek. He has been behaving awkward lately. And I am going to confront him right now."

"I wouldn't have expected it of him but the guy is pathetic if he did such cruel things to poor Mimi." Izzy said feeling angry at Derek.

But his anger was nothing compared to what Matt was feeling. "I am going right now to see to the bastard."

"Don't go alone Matt. He is a dangerous guy. I'll come with you."

* * *

"Oh God! Where is Kari?" T.K. said.

"M…maybe she has returned home." Tai said trying his best to keep his cool. He was not so angry at T.K. now and realized that he had over reacted a bit and it must have been just a normal couple fight. But yet he had not completely forgiven him for letting her go like that but again he was trying to console him as well as himself because he could see that T.K. was really upset at what he had done and sincerely regretted his actions.

They had looked at almost every possible place they could think of for Kari but she was nowhere to be found. Though both Tai and T.K. did not voice this they were scared that something like what had happened to Mimi had happened to Kari. The incident with Mimi had really put them on guard and they had ever since been living very extra-safe lives and protecting each other. T.K. knew that he might not even be able to live like his brother if anything like that happened to Kari. He would die right there.

"The park!" Tai said.

"Huh?"

"We did not check the park." Tai said.

"Yeah you are right. Kari often goes there when she is upset."

"Let's go then." Tai said reversing the car in the direction of the park.

Kari was sitting on a swing in the park. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide as she talked to Sora on the phone. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes very." Sora said. She was in the bathroom since ever since she had told Daniel that she loved him, he was following her around and wouldn't let her sleep. She thought that maybe if she sat there for some time he'd get tired and walk off.

"I'll get on the first flight to Odaiba right away."

"Alright thanks Kari. I really needed help…..and Kari?"

"Yeah Sora?"

"How is Tai?" Sora did not know why but she blushed asking that.

Kari pursed her lips. "Sora…I won't hide anything from you but today when T.K." She said his name with slight bitterness but Sora did not notice this. "and I were returning home from the construction site we saw Tai and Jacqueline kissing like God knows what!"

Sora suddenly felt hurt by this. But no she should be happy for Tai. He had really loved Jacqueline but again Kari's theory came back to her head and she shuddered. "Kari… Will he be safe?"

"I really don't know Sora but I have my own plan as to how I am going to keep a watch on him when I am not here. And well I guess a flight leaves for Odaiba in an hour so I'd better head towards the airport straight away and oh my cell phone's battery is low so I won't be able to reach you till I get there."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye." Kari said and hung up and just then saw Tai's car pull up outside the park gates and Tai and T.K. jump out and rushed towards her.

"Kari!" Tai hugged her. "I was so worried about you. Don't you realize that it is not safe sitting in desolate parks at one in the morning!"

"Sorry bro. Just got a little upset." Kari said eyeing T.K. who was still at a distance.

Tai was about to say something but Kari interrupted him. "Tai you have just met Jacqueline and you were making out with her in the car."

Tai stared at her. "How did you…."

"T.K. and I saw you. That is not safe either you know. Dating somebody you met yesterday."

"Jacqueline's nice and what harm could she possibly do to me?"

"What harm could anyone have possibly done to Mimi?"

That got Tai for a while. "Kari….. Jacqueline's perfectly alright and I love her."

"No you don't."

"Sorry?"

"Whatever. Do as you wish and by the way it'd be good if you could drop me to the air port. I am going to Odaiba."

"To Odaiba why?" T.K. asked.

"I don't care to answer you." Kari said standing up. T.K. looked away.

"Why are you going to Odaiba Kari?" Tai asked her gently.

"Sora needs my help regarding her new relationship."

Tai's head snapped up at that and T.K. just turned to look at Kari knowing where she was heading to but he too was wondering who Sora had started dating.

"Sora's relationship?" Tai stared at her. "Sora is dating? But she didn't tell me."

"Did you tell her that you were dating Jacqueline?"

"But…who?"

"A guy named Daniel whom her mother wants her to marry."

"What? And she's dating some random guy just because her mother wants it. He could be anyone."

"Even Jacqueline can be anyone."

"Can you stop bringing my every sentence to Jacqueline Kari? Well leave it I am coming to Odaiba with you."

"As you wish." Kari said. "But I just checked the tickets and there is only one seat available which I booked online for myself so you'll have to wait till tomorrow afternoon. That is when the next flight leaves."

Tai nodded. "Come on I will drop you."

* * *

Sora came out of the bathroom hoping that that idiot of Daniel would have gone to sleep now but to her dismay he was still there.

"Hey babe." He said coming near her and kissing her lips. Sora had no choice but to kiss back.

"Daniel. I am tired by my journey and I want to go to sleep so if you would excuse me…."

"No baby….." Daniel said. He began to push her towards the wall.

"Daniel leave me." Sora said struggling to get out of his grip but he tightened his grip on her wrist.

"Move Daniel!" Sora said. He began to kiss her cheeks forcefully and made his way down to her neck.

"Daniel." Sora said struggling. Seeing that she possibly could not escape she bit his hand and kicked his stomach with her knees. Daniel doubled over and fell down. Sora jumped over him and began to make her way out. Daniel tried to catch her legs but she kicked him straight in the face and he collapsed back. She almost reached the door and was about to open it but Daniel was already on his feet and pulled her back by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall gripping her tighter than ever. He pressed his knees against hers so as to prevent her from taking any more shots at him.

Sora realized that she was trap.

"You are going to pay for this girl." Daniel said.

Sora could shout only one word at that and she had not expected that she would shout out his name but she did it only sub consciously and was surprised that she did but well there was only one sound out of her mouth.

"TAI…."

* * *

**Yay! I got it up sooner than I myself expected but tomorrow being a holiday I got the time! I might have written it even earlier but there was a grid failure so no electricity! Nice break from studying practically all that I can cram in my head ranging from World Wars to properties of Nitric Acid! And I have an English Literature test on Friday on two poems which I really don't like. Ugh I will literally fly in the air after March! Well anyways do tell me how this was :) **

**Hitomi65; **Thank you!

**Lilyangel003; **No they are not all involved but most of them are. Sora has a reason for this. You will know in the chapter after the next :)

**Yami Ishida; **Hehe it'll be revealed soon.

**Missylea; **Yup! There is an explanation as to why she did this and Tai and Sora will soon realize they love each other :D

**Ilovemattishida; **Thanks!

**Mimato love 4ever; **Thank you! Yeah that is why I took OCs coz I really don't hate any character except maybe Jun and sometimes I get annoyed with Joe but I don't hate him though I most definitely hate Jyoumi :P You will know about Sora. She has a pretty good reason why she did that.


	8. Guesses at Love

**Chapter 8: Guesses at Love**

"Tai…"

She couldn't believe it. She had shouted his name straight on Daniel's face. And then she couldn't hide the obvious fact anymore. She loved him. She had always loved him. But she had always taken it as a friendship love. Now she just knew it. Maybe circumstances- he dating Jacqueline and she trapped here in the grip of a monster- made her suddenly realize that her love was much beyond friendship. And she needed him now when this guy was going to do God knows what with her. She was still trying to wriggle out of his grip but Daniel had learnt from experience.

"Tai? Who the hell is Tai?"

Even though Sora was in a life threatening situation, she still did not lose her courage. "Somebody better than you. And you are letting me go now or I am screaming the loudest scream you would have heard."

"Sorry to tell you but I have locked the door of your mother's room so you have no help."

Sora did not show the fear which she was feeling inside her. He had this planned. And she knew what he was thinking but she was not going to allow him to execute his plans.

"Who is Tai?"

Sora noticed that he was getting distracted by Tai. She almost smiled thinking that indirectly Tai was going to help her in this situation.

"The boy I love truly."

"What?" Daniel said as his knee left Sora's knee. "But your mother said that you were single."

Just as he said that he received a kick in his gut and he collapsed once again. But he wouldn't let Sora go. He pulled her down too. Sora escaped his grip but he pushed her back and Sora hurt her cheek by banging against the drawer. She was definitely going to get a bruise there. After much kicking and struggling Sora managed to push Daniel off her and she ran not really seeing where she was going. She ran straight out of her house and into the street. She ran as far as she could until she was much further away from her house.

It was very dark and it had been quite some time since Sora had last been in Odaiba and unlike when she was younger she did not remember the ways very clearly and in the dark she couldn't exactly make out where she was. She was in an alley of some sort. She walked around till she moved out into the main road again. Then she saw a hotel. She knew that. It was very close to Yolei's place but at the moment she was not in a state to meet anybody. Yolei would be all over her if she saw her in this state. So she went into the hotel and luckily for her the receptionist there was too sleepy to question her about her battered state and the fact that she was without any luggage.

Once in her room Sora bolted the door and went into the bathroom. She stared at her reflection. Her cheek as expected was bruised and there were two or three scratches on her other cheek and there was a little dry blood just below her lip. Her hand was red because of Daniel's tight hold and there was also a bruise on her knee. But other than that no serious damage was done. She slowly cleaned the blood from below her lips and now there was a clot there and then washed her face. She looked better than before but still anyone could tell that she had been in an accident.

She soon realized that she had not got her phone with her and she really felt too tired to walk down to the reception again to use the hotel phone. She would have very much liked to change her dirty clothes but unfortunately she obviously couldn't. She lay on the bed and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow thinking of Tai and how so idiotically she had lost him to Jacqueline.

* * *

It was now 2 am in the morning when Matt pushed the brakes of his car outside Derek's house. Izzy could see his friend was in a very high temper.

"Matt it will not do if you lose control over yourself. Calm yourself."

Matt nodded and then took a deep breath to cool down and got out of the car and made his way towards Derek's door. Izzy followed him.

"Damn it." Matt said as soon as he reached Derek's door.

"What happened?" Izzy said as he looked over Matt's shoulder.

Matt pointed at the huge lock on Derek's door. Izzy gave a sigh of dismay.

"Where could the bastard have gone off to?" Matt said angrily.

"Matt shh." Izzy said suddenly. "Somebody's coming."

Matt listened too and sure enough he could hear footsteps not from the front from where they had come but from behind the house. He pulled Izzy and they hid behind a bush in Derek's well developed lawn.

"Yes yes done."

A voice could be heard saying. But it was not Derek's voice. The voice caused Matt to gasp. "Kevin…."

"Yeah I was somewhat upset that he did that to Diana. She was a good chick. Better than the others which he had given me. Nah! What? Really. Well not thought that he would get into such big trouble. So you guys got Mimi safely away, didn't you? Hmm. OK Bye."

Kevin walked ahead and he had walked past Izzy and Matt. Matt looked at Izzy. Izzy nodded.

Kevin cut the phone and before he could even say 'a' Matt and Izzy had held him from the back and he was pushed against Derek's door. Matt held him by the collar and gestured to Izzy to let go of Kevin's shoulder which he did.

"What are you doing here?"

"I….Matt I came to visit Derek."

"At two in the morning?"

"You are here too?"

"Answer me first. I heard you. What do you know about Mimi?" Matt said shaking him up badly.

"Nothing… I don't know anything about Mimi."

"O yes you do. _'So you guys got Mimi safely away, didn't you?'" _Matt said imitating Kevin's voice to perfection.

"Matt….." Kevin was clearly afraid of him.

"Tell me or your grave will be dug here."

"Matt calm down." Izzy said. "Kevin there is no escape for you now so you better spill the beans."

Kevin was almost trembling now. "Matt…..Derek…..Derek kidnapped Mimi and I….I never really wanted to help him. But he gave me his sister Diana in place of keeping the secret."

"Diana was Derek's sister?"

Kevin nodded. "I was tempted."

Izzy having a clearer mind at the moment had caught a word 'gave'. "Gave? What do you mean gave?"

"As…..as a prostitute. "

Matt stiffened and so did Izzy. "He did that to his own sister…." Izzy slowly said. "And you too." He said looking with disgust at Kevin still in Matt's grip.

"Where has he taken Mimi?"

"Odaiba."

And finally Matt asked him the question which he had been very fearful to ask. For if the answer was yes he was not sure if he would be able to stop himself from pressing Kevin's throat. "Has he done those things to Mimi….."

Kevin slowly nodded.

Matt could feel angry tears coming to his eyes. "WHY?" He bellowed tightening his hold on Kevin's collar.

"I don't know." Kevin said.

"Izzy take him away before I do something I will regret. And I will walk over to the apartment. I need to go to Odaiba now."

* * *

"Afternoon three tickets are booked." Tai said to Matt. "I have been trying to contact Sora but she is not picking up her phone I don't know why. And Kari is not picking up her phone also."

Matt was trying to keep his head clear not trying to think about what Derek had been doing to Mimi. It was causing him to boil over. He tried talking to Tai in the mean time. It was only seven in the morning and the flight left at one. Izzy was staying back with Kevin to see to it that he did not somehow try to fore warn Derek that they knew of his little plan.

"Has there been a row between T.K. and Kari?"

Tai nodded. He too was not liking to think of what Derek had already and what he might be doing to Mimi. T.K. was out since morning and he did not know anything about this but he had told Tai that he wanted to go to Odaiba with him and so Tai had booked a ticket for him also.

"Is that why Kari went off to Odaiba?"

"No because of Sora and Daniel." Tai said a little grumpily.

"Daniel?"

"Oh you don't know!" Tai began to tell him the entire tale of Sora and Daniel.

"Not very like Sora to follow her mother like that. I mean she has been rebelling against her since God knows when and suddenly she starts to date this guy whom she just met because her mother wanted."

"I know. And try to tell this to Kari she gets it down to Jacqueline."

"Um…..Sorry Tai but Jacqueline who?"

"Oh! Matt a lot has been going on these days." He said and filled Matt up again now on the tale of his and Jacqueline.

"Are you totally mad Tai?" Matt said.

"Huh?"

"I mean you are almost as bad as Sora! You just date a girl whom you met at a _parking lot of a disc _and you even make out with her."

"You too." Tai said.

"Tai I have not met her so I can't say anything much but I have to agree with Kari that it is weird that she was to be in the parking lot at that time."

Tai shrugged. "Well I gotta go say good bye to her because we had plans for lunch today." He said as he walked off.

Matt stared after him what were Tai and Sora doing to themselves? They were being perfect idiots.

But as Tai went out his thoughts moved back to Mimi. He had to grip both of his hands to prevent himself from breaking objects in the room. And he had never ever suspected either Derek or Kevin through all this time. It was still hard to believe that two of his band mates would defy him in this manner. But still he could not come to a reason why Derek would do something like this.

* * *

Tai was about to ring the bell of Jacqueline's house but the door was opened. It was not Jacqueline who opened the door but an equivalently beautiful girl. But she had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. Tai stared at her. He had seen her somewhere…he couldn't remember. It had been a few years… Three years….. Yeah he was getting it but suddenly Jacqueline's voice interrupted his thoughts and he lost all progress.

"Claudia! Who is it?"

Jacqueline appeared behind the girl called Claudia. "Oh hi Tai. Come in." She then turned to Claudia. "Were you going somewhere Claudia?"

"Yeah." Claudia said a little coldly. "I am going out of station today." Claudia said and with one queer look at Tai walked off.

"Who was Ms. Sour Milk?" Tai said entering Jacqueline's house.

"That was my sister Claudia."

"Oh sorry." Tai said.

"Nah don't be. I call her that pretty often myself. She always has a look enough to turn the milk sour." Jacqueline said.

"Oh. Well I came to tell that I have to go to Odaiba today because…" Tai was about to tell Jacqueline about Mimi but suddenly the words of Kari and Matt came back to his mind. He didn't really believe that there was something wrong with Jacqueline but there was definitely something wrong with her sister and he did not want to ruin Matt's chance of getting to Mimi especially after what had been happening to Mimi.

"Because?" Jacqueline said.

"Uh…..my mother is not very well and my father is not at home so I have to go check on her." Tai said.

"Oh." Jacqueline said.

Then they kissed but suddenly while kissing something came across Tai's mind. As he kissed Jacqueline he saw Sora's face in front of him and he pulled away. Jacqueline did not seem to notice. Tai waved her bye and got into his car and drove.

He was confused. Why was he thinking of Sora. Maybe because he was uneasy about Sora dating Daniel. Last night he had had a weird experience. He had just dropped Kari at the air port and was driving himself and T.K. back home when suddenly he had stopped the car all of a sudden. He had told T.K. that it happened by mistake but in reality he had thought that he heard Sora scream. Call for him to be more precise. And she was in pain. And that is why he had been trying to call Sora but she was not receiving his phone and neither was Kari. He was very worried about them.

* * *

**Here it is. I was telling my friend this story(while we were sitting in the Computer lab and my Java program was constantly giving an error saying 'illegal start of expression') and whenever I would get to the part about Tai and Jacqueline her words would be "And what 'bout Sora?"And she has never even seen Tai and Sora and even knew the end of the story! So guys don't worry Tai and Sora will get together soon and Matt will reach Mimi soon. Do review! **

**Missylea; **Thank you! Daniel is in a negative role since he is going to be horrible to Sora. You'll know why soon.

**Lilyangel003; **That happened by mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. I corrected it. And yeah he is a psycho!

**Mimatolove4ever; **Yeah I hate it mostly because I hate Joe. I dunno why. I read Koumi in Taiora fics but not individually coz I love Mimato more than any other Mimi coupling and I don't think Mimi and Izzy would go beyond dating while Matt and Mimi suit each other. I was only 7 when I liked that couple! And 9 when I remarked that "What she likes him?" when Sora gave Matt the cookies!

**Mimi; **Thanks and yeah I will.


	9. Catch me if you can!

**CHAPTER 9: Catch me if you can!**

"Where the hell is Kevin? No information. Nothing! We are at a big risk right now don't you people realize?" Someone barked at Derek and Claudia.

"Stop screaming so much! We are doing our best alright?" Derek snapped. "We have been saving you for such a long time."

"Oh and my real work has not yet been done since three years." The other man replied back.

"It was Kevin's fault." Claudia said in a cool voice totally unflustered.

"Don't you remind me that! Agreed it was his fault but all of you were supposed to put it right."

"Do it yourself then." Derek muttered.

"I am! What with you useless lot, I would probably have to have waited another three years!"

Claudia rolled her eyes.

He then pounced on Claudia. "You! Where is that sister of yours?"

"She'll be in Odaiba today. But sorry to tell you your plan with her failed too. Besides Yamato and Takeru, Taichi is in Odaiba too."

"Couldn't have expected better. Hate to admit it but you would have been better than Jacqueline."

Claudia smirked.

"I am out of here now. I got business to attend to."

He walked out.

Derek turned to Claudia.

"We missed another chance Claud…"

Claudia gave a slow nod.

* * *

It was almost one o' clock when Sora moved out of the hotel. Luckily the receptionist was a different one from last night. She had not yet checked out in case she was kicked out of her own home for her stunt last night. Her mother was like that and would never believe that her 'wonderful' Daniel would do _anything_ wrong forget attempt to molest her.

She had thought of setting out much earlier but to her mild surprise she had slept till noon. She looked better than yesterday but was still in a bad condition. She did notice people looking at her from the corner of their eyes. Of course at her battered state but she was in no mood to take any notice of these things. Truly she was a bit afraid about what Daniel might have done to her mother.

* * *

Kari made her was lazily to Sora's house. She felt quite stiff. There was some sort of technical problem in the plane delaying her for almost five hours and she was pretty tired but Sora had had some very important business up her sleeve. But outside Sora's house she saw Sora's mother talking angrily to a boy with black hair.

She could see that this was not good so she slowly made her way almost crawling and found a spot behind the wall of the Takenouchi apartment from where she could clearly listen to Sora's mother and the boy's words.

"I can't believe she did that, Daniel!" Her mother screeched.

"Well Mrs. Takenouchi she did. I was only trying to make some conversation with her. She went mad and gave me nice punches saying that that would probably make me go away and not marry her. She was talking of some guy called Tai. Said that she loved him."

Kari stared at them. Sora would never do that. She at once began to realize what had happened here the last night and what she concluded was much different than Daniel's tale. And to think that Sora's mother actually believed this cock and bull story. Why would Sora act like that? Did her mother not have any sense? How could she distrust someone so responsible as Sora? She did not deserve a daughter like Sora.

"Let her come home. I am probably never going to let her go back to the city again."

"She won't probably come back. I will go look for her and bring her back.

"Uh…oh" Kari thought. "This means trouble. I will have to look for Sora and find her before the dork does." And she quietly slipped away.

Just as Kari slipped away towards one direction, Sora appeared from the next direction. She saw Daniel moving out of her house and behind him was her mother and her mother was saying to him grimly. "Get her to me! I will teach her a lesson!"

Sora at once realized that Daniel had been bullshitting to her mother and was about to move back when Daniel caught sight of her. "SORA!" He yelled and ran towards her. Sora lost no time in running back the path she came.

Now Kari had just moved a little distance when she heard Daniel's 'Sora!' She immediately diverted and ran back up crossing Sora's house. Sora's mother saw her running away and exclaimed "Why Hikari….." But Kari did not bother to know the rest as she ran without thinking. She was delayed as it was and soon she came to a halt at cross roads. Neither Daniel nor Sora were to be seen anywhere.

* * *

"Well we are at Odaiba." T.K. said. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Izzy is still trying to get Kevin to tell where they are but Kevin keeps on insisting that he does not know since he was not coming here." Matt said.

Tai was lost deep in thought. He had forced himself to push Sora and Kari to the back of his mind for a moment to concentrate on the vision he had been getting at Jacqueline's house and then he finally got it.

_**Three years ago; The day Mimi was kidnapped.**_

Tai and Sora were walking down towards the new apartment Mimi and Sora had got. Matt and Tai were helping them set it up as they had done their own having arrived there a few days earlier.

"I hope she won't make me stay." Sora said.

"As if she can. Come on Sora. Your mother has only called you to try her hand once again but she too knows that she is fighting a losing battle."

"I guess." Sora said.

"You've changed so much Sora because of all this stuff happening."

"Bad tempered you mean?" Sora said flashing him a smile.

"Not exactly bad tempered. Maybe short tempered?"

"I don't want to be like this. You are not the only one who misses the caring motherly me. I miss myself."

"Sor…. I will always be there for you." Tai said solemnly.

"I know you will. As if I will let my best friend go."

Just then Tai banged into a girl. "Whoa! Look where you are going, will you?" Tai exclaimed angrily.

The girl looked up to him with her aqueous eyes and platinum blonde hair.

"I am really sorry. I was thinking of something else." She replied. Then she turned her look to Sora and gave her a queer look not gone unnoticed by Sora as she walked off back in the direction.

Tai began to move forward but Sora was glued to the spot. Tai turned to her. They were late as it was. What was up with her?

"Sora?"

"Did you see that Tai?"

"What?"

"That girl….."

"Yeah she was gorgeous." Tai interrupted rolling his eyes. "Duh of course I did she banged into me, remember?"

"Let me complete idiot! Did you see the look she gave me as if she was scrutinizing me or maybe even concerned?"

"She seemed troubled Sora. Don't think too much. She was most likely thinking of something else." Tai said.

Sora shrugged and didn't think about it anymore.

_Later, in the evening;_

Tai and Matt got out of the girls' apartment and were making their way to Tai's car to go to their own apartment.

"Tiring! I wonder why Mimi carries so many things with her!" Matt said.

They both laughed. True Mimi had almost brought stuff enough for a whole family not just herself. It was a good thing Sora carried limited stuff or else they would probably be sitting there still.

Suddenly Tai saw her again from the corner of his eye. The mystery girl from the morning who had apparently been giving Sora weird looks. He stopped abruptly.

"What happened, Tai?" Matt said stopping too.

The girl was sitting on a bench nearby and was anxiously looking at the apartment as if there was a bomb or something there. She looked as if the entire burden of the world was on her shoulders.

"Matt, that girl."

Matt turned to look at her. "She seems pretty scared, doesn't she?"

"She was there in the morning, right here. She banged into me and Sora thought that she was looking at her in an extraordinary way."

"She is probably worried about something, I guess." Matt said. "Forget her."

"That is what I thought." Tai said.

_Present day;_

And after that he did forget all about her. Not when the night Mimi was kidnapped. Not when Sora had been crying on his shoulder that it was her fault that Mimi was kidnapped. Not when Mimi was declared dead by the police. Not when Matt went into depression. Not until he saw her today…. For that girl of course was none other than Claudia.

"Tai?" T.K. was waving his hand in front of his eyes. Tai came back into reality.

"Claudia….." Tai said.

"What?" Matt said.

"Matt, remember that day when Mimi was kidnapped. That time when we had been leaving their apartment after setting it up. I had shown you a girl. She was really scared and worried. I told you that she banged into me and Sora was sure she had been looking at her in a weird manner. Try to remember. It is important!"

Matt tried to think. The night of that day had been so terrifying that he hardly remembered anything about the evening. Finally he began to get it. He remembered the girl very well.

"Yes…..I remember. The one with blonde hair" Matt slowly said.

"I met her today! She is Jacqueline's sister Claudia. She was there. She was staring at the apartment. She hung around there the whole day." Tai said.

"You mean….. She is involved somehow in Mimi's kidnapping." Matt said feeling excited after a long time.

Tai nodded. "And now that I come to think of it Jacqueline did say something about Claudia coming to Odaiba today."

"Call Jacqueline and ask her where her sister is." T.K. said.

Tai nodded and quickly called Jacqueline. "She is not answering."

"Could she be involved too?" Matt said.

Tai did not protest. He turned slightly pale but then he pushed the thought away. "Maybe she is busy."

"Well, what exactly are we to do?" T.K. said.

"We will have to look at all possible places. You know desolate places where nobody ever goes." Matt said.

Tai nodded. For once he let Matt take charge though that was not something he allowed usually. But today firstly, it was Mimi they were looking for so Matt had complete right to take charge and secondly he really did not feel he could take charge. He was really worried about where Sora and Kari were. Even though he had neither met nor even heard much about this Daniel, he did not exactly feel right about him.

"Listen." Tai said. "I will go check on Sora and Kari first."

"Alright."

* * *

With that Tai made his way to Sora's house. His heart was beating uncomfortably. Something about both Sora and Kari's phones being switched off and Sora suddenly falling in love with some random guy did strike him as fishy. He was also worried that Sora's mother might truly scratch at his face since she blamed him partially for Sora being such a tomboy and having a soccer craze.

Tai had concluded that he had fallen in love with Sora or rather had always been in love. It was not a brother type love that he had always thought he had for Sora. He had realized that it was different from the way he felt towards Kari. But it was too late now. Sora was dating this Daniel and he had been idiotic enough to date Jacqueline. It had just been attraction by looks and nothing else. He would anyways break up with Jacqueline since he would not like to keep on telling her he loved her as he would always love Sora. He felt annoyed at himself for not realizing this earlier. He might have had a chance then but the he again remembered that Sora had often laughed at the idea of them being a couple when T.K. or Kari or anyone else would suggest it. But maybe even she had not realized that she loved him like he had. Then maybe she still loved him and only gone for Daniel like Tai had gone for Jacqueline. Tai allowed himself to hope. He would confess everything to Sora whenever he met her. With that he arrived at Sora's house.

The place was just like it used to be. He slowly walked up and nervously rang the doorbell.

He heard rushing footsteps as if the person running had been expecting somebody. He really hoped that it would be Sora- or if not Sora even Daniel would do- who opened the door. He was in no mood to be tackled by Sora's mother. But unfortunately for Tai it was Mrs. Tackenouchi who opened the door- obviously!

"Um…..hello Mrs. Takenouchi."

"YOU!" She bellowed.

Tai was taken aback. He had not exactly expected a welcome or anything but he had not even expected a shout in his face.

He blinked.

"You trap my daughter in a love game and then you have the guts to turn up at my door."

Tai did not quite know what to make of this. He was confused. "Love game?" He asked cluelessly.

"Oh don't act smart in front of me!"

Tai was now convinced that Mrs. Takenouchi definitely had gone mad finally.

"Err…. Mrs. Takenouchi, where is Sora?"

Mrs. Takenouchi stamped her foot. Tai was really getting scared of this woman now. Sora's mother began to scream what Daniel had told her at Tai. "And now Daniel's gone to catch her. He has been gone for about three hours. I can't imagine what Sora might have done to him. And that sister of yours followed them too."

Tai was horrified. How could Mrs. Takenouchi believe this crap about her own daughter? He flared up. "How could you? It is more likely that that idiot Daniel has done something to her than the other way round. You are horrible. You always thought her to be wrong when she was always right. You made her miserable when she deserved to be happy. You don't deserve someone as Sora as your daughter!" He was really angry as he walked off.

"Where do you think you are going?" Mrs. Takenouchi said.

"To look for Sora before something wrong happens." Tai replied. _Though Daniel has already gone after her since so long I hope he hasn't already…_

"But Tai….."

"And Oh Mrs. Takenouchi I do love Sora! But I am not trapping her in any love game." He said as he ran off.

Mrs. Takenouchi stared after him. Tai's words had given her a lot to think about.

* * *

Six o' clock. It had been five hours ever since she had been running. She was too tired. Sora had been too pre-occupied to eat in the morning and after that of course she had barely got any time to eat or even drink. She was too tired now as she walked into an old burn out building. Daniel was still following, she knew. She had even hurt her leg and she limped into a room of the building. It had probably been the security guard's room. She desperately wanted to sleep. She was hungry and thirsty and tired. But she daren't sleep in case Daniel found her.

Daniel ran towards the building. Ah! So Sora had come here. He smiled in glee as he walked inside. Sora was not safe for long. He grinned. He had no intentions of taking Sora back to her house.

Kari ran up panting. She had turned left at the cross roads and had caught sight of Daniel's black head. She had been stealthy and had managed to reach there by keeping in the shadows. She too was tired but she had to find Sora at any cost. She walked in slowly and cautiously. She knew that Daniel was a dangerous guy. And suddenly she was caught from the back.

Kari was about to scream but a hand shut her mouth. She panicked. She began to take deep breathes. Had she been stupid enough to get caught. Now she was of no help.

'Shh….." The person holding her said as he removed his hand from her mouth.

Kari eased out a bit at his voice. "T.K." She turned to face him.

"Kari. What are you doing here?" T.K. said.

Kari narrated to him what had happened. Then T.K. told her about everything.

"So this Jacqueline's sister is involved in the kidnapping."

"Yes." T.K. said looking at the ground. "And Matt too feels that Jacqueline might be involved."

"So you believe me now? Jacqueline is somehow connected to wrong doers."

T.K. looked down. "Yeah, I am very sorry Kari. I shouldn't have said all that I did. You were right." He hugged Kari and kissed her neck. Kari kissed his cheek and then his lips.

"Forgiven?" T.K. said when they finally broke apart after sometime.

"You bet!" Kari said.

"Now come on. We got to look for Matt." T.K. said as he took her by the hand and they went off.

Tai was also tired now after running for so long. He came to a burnt building. (The same one of course) and leaned against the wall On the sand near there he could see footsteps. Quite a few people had gone in recently. Maybe this was where Sora was. He entered the place thinking this.

Now within minutes of Tai's departure Matt came running to the building. This was the last isolated place and T.K. had called him there. He looked at it. This was quite some place to hide and maybe Derek had kept Mimi here. W=Just once he could get his hands on him. And well as soon as he walked into the building he came face to face with…..

"Derek!" Matt said through gritted teeth.

* * *

**Well so what will Matt do now that he has Derek in front of him? And what will happen to Sora? Is Mimi really here? Read to find out….**

**Only three more chapters are left. I know I had intended it to be only seven but it would not have been possible to put so much as well as create the atmosphere in that much. So this will be 12 chapters. Now I am very clear as to what is going to happen and how but I will still not be able to update before next weekend. Or maybe I might coz I have a four day holiday. Yesterday, I wonderfully ruined a Geography test. Ugh….I don't hate any subject more passionately than that. I'd be so glad to finally quit it next year. We had got 4 chapters of 20 pages each! Only for a 10 mark test too! And we got such minute details that the result was the whole class staring at each others faces! Do review! It will make me happy!**

**Mimato love4ever; **Thanks! Nah Daniel's too busy telling her stupid stories than hurting her!

**Lilyangel003; **Thanks!

**Ilovemattishida; **Thanks! And yeah I will explain everything in the flashback. The entire eleventh chapter is going to be about that.

**Taioramimatotakari567; **Thanks so much!

**Missylea; **They are! I will try to update as much as possible.


	10. On the Floor

CHAPTER 10: On the Floor

"Derek…" Matt said with gritted teeth.

"Matt!" Derek seemed to be pretty pleased on seeing Matt.

_He is still acting, the hypocrite. _Matt thought. He was really boiling with rage and was trying pretty hard to keep in control of himself.

"Matt, what is wrong?"

That was it. Within seconds Derek was on the floor with Matt's fist in his face.

Derek seemed to be shocked but immediately pushed Matt back and sat up. "Matt….." Then suddenly comprehension dawned on his face. "You have met Kevin, haven't you?"

"Yes and he has told me what kind of a beast you are you fucker." Matt said and was about to pounce back on him.

"Matt. He is wrong. You'll have to listen to me."

"You are not worth being heard."

"If Kevin is worth being heard, then I most definitely am. Matt it was not I who kidnapped Mimi but someone else. Somebody you don't even know."

"How do I believe you?"

"How did you believe Kevin?"

"It is you or else what are you doing in Odaiba in this building."

"I have a pretty good reason. If only you'd hear me out."

"MATT!" T.K. came running towards him with Kari and following them was a most stunning blond woman. Matt remembered her from that day…..Claudia.

* * *

Sora was totally freaked out. She was taking deep breathes still. She was on the verge of fainting but had to force her eyes to stay wide. She was not even daring to blink in case she slept or became unconscious or anything. She was at a loss regarding what to do. Just then she heard something which gave her goose bumps.

"Sora…. I know you're here…..come out before I drag you out."

Daniel was almost singing the words.

_He is a maniac._ Sora thought. Now she didn't even dare breathe too loudly. She held her knees to her chest. She was petrified. Tai….How much she wanted him just now. How much she wanted to hug him. That is when a realization came across her. This must be how Mimi must have felt….or rather was still feeling…. That thought made her even more uncomfortable. Daniel was still speaking. She could hear burnt doors being opened and closed as Daniel searched for her. His voice was coming closer and closer. She knew she didn't have much time. She looked around fervently for something she could use as a weapon but all she could see were ashes and a few old pieces of wooden furniture….nothing which she could find.

And then finally the door opened. Sora tried not to panic preparing for the worst. She didn't even look up and buried her face in her knees and felt hands around her shoulders. "Sora….."

The voice sent hope down Sora's body. The voice was gentle and soft. And Sora pulled her head up to look into the chocolate brown eyes of the person holding her. He looked so good at the time. Just the last person she expected to see here but the one she had been craving for the most. All sorts of questions ran through her head. How did he find her? When did he come to Odaiba as a matter of fact? But none of that mattered any more. Nothing did except the fact that he was there and holding her in his arms.

She hugged him as she had so long wanting to do so. And then she couldn't help it. She burst out the tears she had long since been holding back and wet his shirt.

"Tai….." She whispered.

"Sora, what happened?" There was a hint of worry behind the calm voice.

"I….. Just I have wanted you for so long…" Sora said and before she realized what she was doing, she placed her lips on his and kissed and to her surprise he kissed back. That was the best kiss she had ever had with any boyfriend….. In fact there was no comparison. She didn't want it to end but as she came to her senses and realized what she was doing she hastily pulled back red in the face and looked at him but to her surprise he was smiling.

"Tai…."

"I love you Sora. I…..I never ever realized this. But I always did. I misinterpreted the love but now I understand it. I was an idiot to date Jacqueline or any girl I ever dated. I….I almost thought that I lost you to Daniel who is a freak I must say. He missed this door apparently searching for you and just now I find you here and you kissed me and…."

"Tai you are blabbering!" Sora said laughing.

Now it was Tai's turn to turn red. "Um…you get it, right?"

Sora leaned forward and whispered in his ears. "I love you too."

Tai then gazed at her. He ran a cool hand down her bruise and the clots and scars. His touch made Sora feel good. And the look in his eyes changed. He was really mad now.

"That idiot of a Daniel did this, didn't he?"

Sora nodded.

"It… I had to pretend to love him Tai. It was necessary…"

"Necessary!" Tai said.

_Okay he is really way too mad now._

"You mean this." He jerked his hands towards Sora's bruise. "You better have a good explanation for this."

"How about I tell you Tai?" A voice said. Both Tai and Sora turned to see Daniel standing in the doorway. "She did this because I had her beautiful best friend."

Tai's eyes widened at that as he turned to look back at Sora who nodded.

"Yes, don't be too shocked. I have Mimi. But I am not satisfied with her. Ah! I so hate people who are satisfied, they never seem to want more but I do and now I want your girlfriend." Daniel was now barely a foot away from there. Tai and Sora had stood up to. Tai stood protectively in front of her.

"You dare lay a finger on her….."

"You of course Tai are free to go. Leave her and go take your friends and never return. I might even let Mimi go. Just give me Sora."

"Trust somebody like you to suggest such a thing."

"Ah! I knew it. You and Matt are too heroic for it. But let me ask Sora. I know that she too is heroic and thus she will have a different answer than you. Sora, I will let Mimi go….forever. She will want a taste of freedom of course, wouldn't she? You also want it for her, don't you? Well you can give it to her. Just ask your over protective boyfriend to let me have you and Mimi can go."

"Tai…" Sora said. " I am willing to do it….for Mimi."

"Sora!" Tai said a bit frustrated and a bit angry and a bit annoyed and a bit protective. "You know Mimi would never want that and we can deal with this jerk and get Mimi too!"

Daniel completely ignoring Tai continued to address Sora. "It is a bargain Sora. Jacqueline is right there with Mimi. She is on the fifth floor of this building Sora."

Tai caught a word which stunned him in Daniel's sentence. "Jacqueline…She…..she is involved in Mimi's kidnapping."

"Yes of course she is dude! She played it bad with you but it was on my instructions. This was all my plan to distract you. So I could get the chick here. You fell for it and I almost got her…" Daniel could not speak further because now he and Tai were rolling on the floor hitting each other wherever they could.

Sora looked around again. She had to do something. She was not letting Tai get hurt though he did seem to be stronger than Daniel but Daniel was more quick and a bit…..experienced. Of course Tai had experience with Digimon and Matt….but that was almost it. Tai was usually a friendly guy and hardly ever got into even verbal fights with anyone forget rolling on the floor with a psycho…God knows what he was!

Then she caught it a sharp piece of wood. She ran up and stabbed Daniel on the leg. He gave a yelp and collapsed back hitting his head hard. She pulled up Tai and the two ran out of the place.

* * *

They were so close again. Mimi knew Matt was there. She had heard Jacqueline speak to Daniel about them. She so badly wanted to get to him. But she had lost all her strength in the past few years. Besides today she had not eaten anything since nobody had been around there.

Now she could see Jacqueline glaring at her tied up figure with those sly green eyes of hers. Then Jacqueline spoke. "You will be free soon if Daniel succeeds."

"I would rather not be free if the cost of freedom is my best friend."

Jacqueline shrugged. "Well then both of you can enjoy your life together since Sora will be here at any cost."

"You are not even worth being called humans." Mimi said.

Jacqueline was about to retort when suddenly a loud scream echoed. "Daniel…" Jacqueline whispered.

She jumped up and ran out.

Mimi stared after her. Had one of her friends succeeded in doing off with Daniel? She had never heard Daniel scream. And it sounded like he was in great pain.

Within seconds Jacqueline came running back. "Your friends have gone a step too far." She said. "They are going to pay." And from a small drawer placed there she grabbed a revolver and moved back out.

Mimi stared after her terrified for them out there. She prayed silently that nothing would happen to Matt or Sora or anyone…..

"Daniel…..of course…D for Daniel!" Matt said as he, T.K., Kari, Derek and Claudia paced inside the building.

"I am sorry we should have informed you." said Claudia.

"You sure don't look like an Interpol agent!" T.K. said.

Claudia shrugged. "I am not supposed to or else I wouldn't have been able to pull it off this long."

"My head is still spinning from your bizarre story."

"My only regret is…..Diana…The person I did this for. And she is gone." Derek said.

"Don't worry Derek. Once we get our hands on these people they will never ever touch a girl again." Claudia said. And she gave Derek a reassuring smile which he returned.

_They like each other. _Kari thought.

Just then Matt banged into Tai. He stared at Tai and Sora. And let me add that by that time Tai was of course not in a too good condition. And well we know of Sora….

"My God! What has happened to you two?"

"Fifth floor! Mimi!" Sora panted.

"Of course! Fifth floor." Claudia said turning to Derek. "The place he gave to Jacqueline!"

"You?" Tai said staring at Claudia.

Matt shook his head and said "No time! Let's get Mimi and then there will be a lot of time for…SORA!"

Tai swiftly turned around at Matt's tone only to see his ex-girlfriend holding a gun at the head of his present girlfriend.

* * *

**I do so love cliffhangers! Though I am guessing you guys don't! I was listening to real rapid songs while writing this so this took me ages to write since I'd start singing! Hope you guys enjoyed. The next chapter will contain all the explanations and Matt- Mimi meeting. After that will be the last chapter, the epilogue. I am open to any suggestions regarding the epilogue. I will try to update as quick as possible cause my half-yearlies are approaching and I'd like to get it over before them. I hope the part with Tai and Sora was okay. I really didn't think and just wrote it as I was typing well but then I don't seriously think about anything! Sorry for the short chapter! I will try my best to make the next one longer**

**And please! It won't hurt you to review!**

**Missylesa;** Thanks!It was not Derek! So no explanation!

**Lilyangel003; **Thanks!

**Taioramimatotakari567; **Thanks!Yup! They are definitely cute! But Mimato is my second fav. couple. Taiora's my fav.

**Yami Ishida; **Thanks! I will try to update as soon as possible.


	11. Explanations

CHAPTER 11: EXPLANATIONS

Everything seemed to stand still for some time. Tai, already weakened by his wrestle with Daniel felt faint. Jacqueline- to think that he had actually loved this girl-kissed her… These thoughts seriously made him hate her more and more. He felt angry at himself for not listening to Kari. She had been totally right about Jacqueline. If only he had listened to Kari….this would not be happening. She was all ready to kill Sora. Just one click and….

"Why?" Tai blurted out not sure why he did it.

"Money." Jacqueline said. "Daniel paid me a lot and with my job at distracting cum dating you Tai, I would have had scores of money in anyways. I knew you're going for those soccer try outs and I also know that you are most likely to even get in and then money money money!"

"You are unbelievable!" T.K. said.

"Oh! Really." She said. Then turning her green eyes onto Tai again she said. "Well now all of you be good and do as I say or else this chick" at that point she pressed Sora's arm hard causing her to wince in pain. "is… well you understand, don't you Tai? So now tell your friends to do as I say. First, I want your cell phones."

Without hesitation everyone fished their cells out and put them at the place where Jacqueline was pointing.

"Good!" Jacqueline said. "Now you two." She said turning to Claudia and Derek. "Out with your guns. Quick quick I don't have time."

Claudia and Derek fished out their guns but held them there hesitating to give them up to her. Jacqueline noticing this pressed Sora's arms again. This time Sora gasped.

"Please do as she says." Tai said.

Derek and Claudia then threw their guns at the pile of phones.

"Excellent work Jacqueline!"

Everyone looked behind Jacqueline from where the voice had come. Daniel was limping towards them. Clearly Sora had hurt him terribly.

"Ah! To see you all like Superman one minute and sacredly cats the next!"

On seeing him, both Tai and Matt were finding it hard to stop themselves from bashing his head. Matt shoved his hands inside his pockets and Tai clenched his into fists. Anger was a weakness of them both and they knew that one wrong move and Jacqueline would not even stop to think one second before shooting Sora.

"Matt you'd like to know that Mimi just fainted out of pain and hunger." Daniel said. "I don't like her this way. She is more _active _when she is healthy but she is not that most of the time. It is not easy getting her where I want most of the times…"

That was it. At that moment all hell broke loose and everything seemed to happen at once.

Matt launched himself on Daniel. Sora kicked Jacqueline in the knee as Jacqueline yelled in pain and shot randomly causing the bullet to fly off and break a glass slab which resulted in glass flowing everywhere. T.K. dove at Kari to push her out of the way of the falling glass. Three men appeared out of nowhere. Claudia pushed everyone aside and dove at her phone. The three men ran to aid Daniel and Tai and Derek launched themselves at them. Sora and Jacqueline were having a one on one wrestling game. T.K. left Kari and ran to help Tai and Derek who were one man shot. Kari got up and ran towards the door leading to the stairs and opened the door closed by Daniel.

"Matt!" Kari yelled. "Go quick." Kari said as she grabbed Daniel who seemed surprisingly light away from Matt to deal with him herself as Matt crawled through the glass covered floor cutting himself in his bare hands. Some of it even ripped his jeans and cut his knee but at the moment he hardly cared as he struggled to his feet and ran up the stairs.

Tai meanwhile pushed Kari away.

"But….." Kari said.

"If you really wanna fight go help T.K. and Derek because I want him for myself."

Kari nodded and ran off to help the other two. She was actually a very good fighter and gave the man she was dealing with some pretty good kicks!

While the fight between Sora and Jacqueline can be described as similar to Angewoman's and Lady Devimon's -only along with slapping there was a lot more punching and kicking going on!

Matt ran up real fast. The thought that he would finally after so many years reach Mimi gave him the strength to move on even after being hurt badly. The sound of the full fledged war going on downstairs dying away. The place seemed creepier than what it had before. It was very dark in the corridors, he could hear his heart hammering against his chest. He finally reached the fifth floor. There was only one door which seemed fit enough so Matt thought that it must be here where Mimi was.

He ran up to that door and slowly pushed the door open. But the sight that met him made tears come to his eyes. Mimi was there alright but a totally different looking Mimi from the one he had known. She was unconscious as Daniel had said. She even looked worse than the last time he had seen her on the street. There were bruises added on and so were cuts here and there. She was even thinner and there was a- well zombie like look on her face which was pale as if there was no blood in her body. Her hair were all battered as if not brushed since-God knows when. She was dressed in her own clothes-jeans and T-shirt. Matt remembered that she had checked at least thirty stores before buying it and they were her favs. He felt a sense of nostalgia remembering the times when things were not so complicated.

Matt pushed back the upcoming tears and ran over to Mimi. She was tied up in a horrible manner. Matt was shocked and he felt an urge to rush back down and shoot Daniel with the gun Jacqueline had been holding. He untied her and she fell limp and cold in his laps. Trying not to panic Matt grabbed her wrist there was a pulse thankfully and it seemed to be quite normal. It was because of weakness most likely that Mimi had fainted. He looked around and saw some water kept on a small drawer table. He could reach it without having to get up and did so.

He put some of it in Mimi's mouth and she coughed and squeezed her eyes tight.

"Mimi…." Matt whispered gently shaking her. "Mimi wake up. It's me."

Mimi coughed a bit more. Matt felt another set of tears coming down. It was too much what they had made of her.

"Meems…." Matt said.

Then finally Mimi slowly opened her eyes. And then blinked. She couldn't seem to believe that he was actually there. She gripped the hand with which he had been holding her wrist to feel if she was not actually dreaming.

"Matt….." She slowly whispered.

"Yeah….." Matt whispered.

She got up slowly not letting her eyes leave Matt's sight. Matt helped her up. She then noticed Matt's bloody hands and knees and the bruises on his face.

"What happened?"

Matt gave a humorless laugh. "You can actually bother about these. Just look at yourself. They are not even scratches compared to what they have done to you Mimi."

At that Mimi burst into tears. There was an outburst of emotion from within her. All what she had been holding back since three years. Pain-sorrow-happiness beyond measure at the moment. Matt pulled her closer and placed his lips over hers. A familiar sensation ran over them. One which both of them had been lacking for three years.

Then Mimi buried her head in his chest. "Matt….Its…..Its….been….horrible….everyday…" She said between sobs.

Matt was holding her very firmly. "I know Meems. I know." He said soothingly in her ears. "It will all be alright now."

"It can't be Matt. I can never forget what they have been doing. All for the sake of money…. It is a gang. A human trafficking gang…. They….prostitution." And Mimi cried even harder.

"Shh…Mimi. Don't talk about it. I know all about it. But things will get better now."

He just held her rubbing her back as she cried her eyes out on his shoulders and then went limp again. Matt realized that she fainted again. She was too weak. He lifted her up and made his way downstairs. He could here police sirens. T.K. met him half way up in an almost similar condition to Matt's.

T.K. looked at Mimi in Matt's arms. "Its….its pathetic…these people. They are not even worth being called humans." He said and Matt caught a catch in his voice.

"What happened?"

"Claudia called her people. They are taking care of Daniel, Jacqueline and co. It seems there were many more around the building. Oh and there are ambulances too. Tai and Sora have gone in one with Kari. I came to look for you. Mimi really needs to be taken their quick I see."

"Yeah!" Matt said as they made their way out.

* * *

Sora woke up to find herself in a cream colored hospital room. Sunlight was pouring saw Tai beside her holding her hand and smiled at him.

"Nice bashings you gave Jacqueline." Tai said.

"And it'll be a wonder if Daniel can stand up again." Sora said.

Both of them looked much better now. True they were bandaged and all but it was definitely better than blood oozing out of everywhere.

"I apologized to Kari. You know…about the whole Jacqueline thing. I…..I regret not listening to her. A lot could have happened differently if I had believed her." Tai said.

"Let the past be history Tai." Sora said.

"Yes since the future is us!" Tai said and kissed Sora on the lips and made his way down to her neck. Sora kissed his cheek but in the middle they were interrupted by somebody clearing their throat. Tai and Sora broke apart blushing.

"Hey Claudia." They both muttered.

Claudia made her way in. "I thought that you two would like to know the entire story of Daniel and what was he up to exactly."

"Yeah. We missed it last night." Tai said.

"Well first of all, I am an Interpol agent."

Tai and Sora gasped.

"I was assigned this case about a few months before Mimi was kidnapped. The case was regarding a gang with a top secret location which they kept changing and we knew barely anything. Now this gang was involved in a major case of human trafficking. They kidnapped girls and were pushing them into prostitution forcefully. They would give them to people willing to pay for them for…..well you know what."

Sora felt tears coming to her eyes and sobbed. Tai held her hand more tightly. "And that is what he did to Mimi."

Claudia nodded sadly.

"Well our spies gave us the information that this gang was planning to kidnap a girl from a particular address which of course was the apartment you and Mimi were sharing Sora. But that girl was an old crush of Daniel's who had rejected him. Whom he began to hate the day she rejected him. He wanted revenge so he tried to get her into this business of his but he wanted her only for himself to as he puts it 'play' around with her."

"And he did manage to get Mimi." Sora said.

"Yes. But it was not supposed to be that way."

"What do you mean?"

Claudia's eyes rested on Sora. She looked at her for sometime similar to the look she had given her when she had run into them three years ago. "It was not Mimi whom they wanted to kidnap, Sora."

"Then…." Sora began but stopped mid sentence realization dawning on her face. "It was supposed to be me….." She whispered.

Tai let out a gasp. Claudia still looked at her and nodded. Sora was in too much shock. "But..I had not even met Daniel before this. When did I reject him?" Sora said trying to remember.

"Remember Sora. When you were in the final year at high school…."

Sora frowned. "I can't….Oh my God! That guy who tried a hand at me outside school. That was _Daniel_."

"Yes the guy who tried flirting with you and gave him a slap."

"He was making some rude remarks about me! Was I supposed to kiss him or what?"

"He had a crush on you Sora, as I said. But some friends of him dared him or something to say that but you with your slap totally embarrassed him. He still had it for you but he was angered at you. He used to watch out and gaze at you everyday after school and he often saw you with the boyfriends you had back then. He was even then running the gang. He had sworn that the very next year when you went to college he would get you into this business and keep you for himself but of course things didn't go as he had planned. He had somehow managed to get Kevin- the keyboard player for the Teenage Wolves on his side because he knew that Matt and you were good friends. Kevin never knew of this business. Then that night he had asked Kevin to get into your apartment and get the girl there at any cost. He never mentioned that it was you he wanted and also he never knew that you and Mimi were sharing. He had a misconception that it was only you living there. But that night of course as you know you had come to Odaiba while it was Mimi in the apartment. Kevin was a bit surprised when he saw that it was Mimi- Matt's girlfriend. He did not know why Daniel was making him do this but all that guy ever cared about was money just like Jacqueline who was Daniel's partner in all this. I was there the whole day watching for anything wrong since if you remember Mimi never stepped out of the apartment and I too never knew that Mimi was there in the apartment too. I only saw you and Matt leave Tai and thought that Sora was alone and then I saw Sora leave hurriedly with her baggage and all and thought that she was going to be safe now. If I had known that Mimi was there too…But I left. And then that night Kevin came while Mimi was asleep and thinking that she was the girl he tried to get her but Mimi was not one to go without a fight as you did see in her bedroom. In the midst of it all she called the first person who came to her mind and that of course was Matt. Kevin saw her and tried to grab her but she still tried to tell Matt what was happening. And then he hit her on the head with some hard object causing her to scream pretty loud. Then he took her of course a few minutes before Matt arrived. Well Daniel of course was infuriated and they were about to put Mimi back when she woke up. Now that she had seen them they could not let her go so they added her to their shitty business but soon Daniel began to like her and he used her for himself too….."

There was silence for a moment. Sora was crying really badly now. Claudia continued.

"Well then I managed to get into their gang. By now Kevin had been forcefully made to join the gang so that Daniel would spare his life for his mistake but Daniel of course wanted you Sora. He found it hard now because you moved in with Tai and Matt and was hardly ever alone. I was closely watching his activities. He had sent his man all around you but somehow they were always counteracted. Guess how?"

"You….Thank you Claudia." Tai said.

"Yes. But for two years I never knew that he had Mimi. I was only protecting Sora. I did not know anything about your personal life's so I did not know why Sora moved in with you all. Then I met Derek. The second lead in Matt's band. I then came to know that his sister Diana had been kidnapped by Daniel and Daniel was threatening him to pay attention to Matt's activities or else Diana would be killed. It was then that I came to know about Mimi's kidnapping and the fact that Daniel might have her. You see we never knew where he kept the girls. Only he, Jacqueline and another man had access to these places. In any case I was still trying to get the location and Derek and I worked together. Then one day Derek couldn't take it and almost told Matt about Mimi. But he had to stop midway because Kevin saw him and the result was Diana's death."

"But Diana and Kevin?"

"Kevin had become a trusted member once the mistake was forgotten and he kidnapped quite many girls so Daniel gave Diana to Kevin as….well the way he wanted Sora for himself."

"The *****" Tai said.

"And well then he did another kidnapping to get to Sora. He kidnapped the son of Sora's mother's friend and got her to call Sora's mother and tell her that _her son Daniel _would be coming to stay and how wonderful it would be if Sora and he got together. And of course Sora's mother immediately agreed. Daniel was glad when you didn't recognize him."

"But why did he send Jacqueline after me?" Tai said.

"He was aware of the close friendship between you and Sora. He knew that you two were always together. He sent Jacqueline as a distraction to you so that he could easily deal off with Sora in Odaiba but you did come." Claudia smiled. "Oh and by the way she is no sister of mine."

"It was pretence?" Sora said.

"Yes. Well then we all know the story. Only Sora how did you know about Daniel?"

"Oh!" Sora said. "Well I was charmed by him at first- I admit. But I am not the person falling in love just by looks."

"Crest of love." Tai whispered so that only Sora could here. Sora smiled at him.

"Well then I was angry when my mother suggested that I should marry him. We had only met for a few hours I mean. I was greatly annoyed and as I was walking to my room. I heard Daniel on the phone. He was talking to someone-Jacqueline I suppose- and he said 'Yeah yeah yeah! Take Mimi there. I know. This is Odaiba. They have a lot of friends here. I don't want a rescue mission for Mimi.' And that was when I realized that this was the guy who had Mimi. Little did I know that he was there to get me too. Well then I pretended that I love him and that night I told Kari about this. But then Daniel tried moves on me and I ran and well that's it!"

"Good work Sora!" Claudia said. "Now I guess I will give you some privacy."

"Claudia. One more thing. What was that bang Matt had heard outside his practice room?"

Claudia laughed. "It was me and on seeing Matt come I jumped out afraid he might recognize me and fell with a bang apparently equivalent to the falling of 'a wooden chair'"

With that she left Tai and Sora alone.

"To think it was me….. I was supposed to be the one. This torture was for me not for Mimi. Thinking of it….." Sora began to cry again.

"Shh…" Tai said getting closer to her. "Don't think about it everything is over now."

"It's just hard to take in."

Then Tai placed his lips on hers and she forgot about everything except him and held onto him.

"All is well that ends well." Tai said.

"And we'll be lovers now." Sora said laughing as she buried her face into Tai's chest.

* * *

"Mimi…."

*Moan*

"Mimi it is a dream….. a nightmare…..wake up…."

And she did with a start.

Then she remembered last night….she was no longer there. Matt had brought her out. He had come. She was safe now. She still couldn't believe it. It was just too good to be true. To see him there-his face angelic even with the scars and his blue eyes like the ocean staring at her concerned

.

"I… I was seeing them…it…."

"Its okay." He said soothingly.

Mimi was felling the water works coming.

"How are you feeling now Meems?" Matt said in a soft voice running his hand through her hair.

"I am OK." Mimi said. "I knew you'd come one day."

"How could I not?" Matt said as he kissed her fore head. She was lying down and was being given glucose since she had been too weak.

"Matt…It was just horrible."

Matt knew how deeply she was hurt emotionally. It was going to be difficult for her to get back to her life after three years of imprisonment.

"It was horrible. There were times I wished I'd just die." Mimi said beginning to cry.

"Meems please…." Matt said beginning to cry himself. And tears did not come to him as easily as they did to Mimi.

"Matt. I just can't think that everything will be like before….."

"It will Mimi. It'll take time but it will. I will make sure if that. And it is a promise to you Mimi that never ever will anyone as much as lay a finger on you as long as I am with you."

He squeezed her hand. And then they kissed again and again. Matt ran his lips through her neck and shoulders and Mimi got hold of his hair.

"You use the same hair gel…"

"No better!"

"Matt. I know that you have had three hard years too."

"It is behind us Mimi. Let's just talk about something else."

"Like what?"

"Like Tai and Sora dating."

"Whoa they did."

"Yup! They had a difficult time too."

"Thanks to Daniel and Jacqueline of course…." Mimi said.

Uh….oh Matt realized that this again was leading back to those idiots. "Uh…..And T.K. and Kari now live with us too. And Davis finally stopped stalking Kari and started dating Yolei."

"Interesting." Mimi said. "And has Jun stopped stalking you?"

Matt laughed. "Now that" He said. "Is something she will never quit."

They were quiet for sometime. It was good to be just staring at each other for a while.

"It is still hard to believe that you really are here." Mimi whispered.

"I will always be with you. No matter what. Always…"

"Forever….." Mimi whispered as Matt's lips met hers again.

* * *

**Well this is not the end. There is more. The epilogue I mean. It'll be set a few years in the future. I was listening to a sad love song while writing the part when Matt reached Mimi and I started crying myself and there is nothing like which would make anyone cry! But again you are speaking to the girl who was crying her eyes out over the death of Sirius Black! Oh and I had cried almost as much as T.K. when Angemon died! But I was only seven so you can pass that on! Please review and tell me how it was. And oh yeah if you feel that I have missed out something to explain or you still don't understand something, please do tell me!**

**Taioramimatotakari567; **Thanks! Yup I love them all too but I just can't seem to get any idea for a Takari! My other multi chap was a Takari but it basically dealt with four couples so not really a major one! I wish I could get something for it!

**Missylea; **Thanks! All your questions were answered here and thanks again for the help with the Matt-Mimi wala thing!

**Mimi; **Thanks!

**Lilyangel003; **Thanks! Hope you can update soon. I know it sucks when the computer doesn't work. I have had that experience and it is pretty annoying!

**LuciferMoza35; **Thank you!


	12. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE **

It was a nightmare and the worse part was she knew it. And the worst was that she was not being able to pull herself out of it. It was not the first time she was having it but it was after quite some time. But whenever she had it she could never pull herself out and then she'd have a bad day the next day.

She could see Daniel. He had escaped from prison. He was smiling at her. It was the old room in the construction site and she had been missed by her friends. He came closer his smile becoming more gleeful and evil with every step he took towards her. Whenever he came it meant…. And then she saw the black hair and green eyes of Jacqueline. She was with him.

"Well our old customer is back." She knew who he was. He was the one whose phone she had grabbed to call Matt when he had gotten too drunk and fainted. He was an animal.

"Don't….." She whispered.

"Pathetic. I like it." Daniel was saying.

Then the scene shifts and she is in the hotel room and the "old customer" is doing it. It was too much. She was wriggling and gasping.

"Meems…."

Matt…His voice was so distant yet close.

"Mimi wake up… It's a nightmare….."

He was calling her. She had to reach him.

"Mimi!" She could feel a hand tapping her cheek gently.

And finally with a gasp Mimi opened her eyes. She found her head on the chest of her husband and noticed that the T-shirt he had been wearing was wet. She had been crying. His blue eyes were looking at her not sure what to do. He was panicked all right.

"Matt….It was again…"

"It's 3 a.m. eight years completed Mimi." Matt said still holding her tightly. Mimi still kept her face buried in his chest. It had been eight years since she had been kidnapped and five since she was rescued. She had had the dream frequently for the first year then she began to feel better with things and Matt was making sure that she totally forgot about her horrible time but then in the second year she had had that dream on this day and the result had been quite similar with her weeping for hours on Matt's chest. Soon after which they had gotten married. After that she hardly thought about all that since Matt never made it possible for her to do so. But today…

"It is probably because of this." Matt said as he gently ran his hand down from her shoulder to her stomach. She was six months pregnant.

"Oh." Mimi said finally looking up. "Yeah maybe."

"Mimi….shh…..don't cry. Those people are never coming back. Everything is fine…."

Mimi nodded and finally gave him a smile. He kissed her lips.

It had been a bit hard to get Mimi back to normal life. She had practically become terrified of her own shadow but somehow things did get better.

Matt finally had gone official with his band and was now famous nationally as well as internationally. Tai too had gone official with soccer and he too was known worldwide. Sora finally accomplished her dream of becoming a famous fashion designer and Mimi began to work with her. They were considerably known too and imported quite some designs. Kari and T.K. were still happily dating and Kari accomplished her dream of becoming a kinder garden teacher while T.K. went on to pursue writing.

"You had better get some rest now." Matt said as he gently laid her back. She looked much like she used to now. Beautiful and before getting pregnant she had even gained her figure back. The only mark was a small scar near her eye. She hoped that it would also go some day.

"I just hope…we never have to meet them again."

"I don't think we will. They are still in prison and are likely to be for a few years more." Matt said.

Mimi nodded. "I don't know how I would have made this without you."

Matt sighed. "Mimi…..Not again…."

"Thanks…."

"Alright you're insulting me by saying that word."

"Aw I'll make it up….. Come here." She said pulling Matt towards herself and placing her lips on his. They were together and always would be Mimi was sure….

* * *

"Tai…."

"Mmm…..Hmm….."

"Tai idiot wake up!"

"Yeah…."

"WAKE UP NOW!" Sora screamed in his ears.

Tai jumped out of bed. "Whoa what happened? You could be a bit softer you know. She is still sleeping" He said pointing at their 1 month old daughter whom they had named Claudia after the person who had been saving Sora for a long time.

"I am not worried about her getting up. She is every bit like her father." Sora said.

"Alright alright! But why are you shrieking at three in the night."

Sora simply pointed at the door of their bathroom. Tai's eyes widened. "Oh my God!"

"When will you grow up Taichi? "

"Uh…huh….." Tai said staring at the water which was flowing full pace from the bathroom.

"I can't believe you actually left the tap open _again!"_ Sora continued. "Thank God I woke up or else the whole house would have been a stream by the time we got up in the morning. Now go close it! What are you sitting here for!"

Tai jumped out and went into the bathroom almost slipping in the pool of water. And closed the tap. Not much damage had been done luckily but still he was almost ankle deep in water.

He went out.

"I am not cleaning it. You are going to." Sora said lying down again and placing her arm round Claudia ruffling her daughter's auburn hair.

"Alright but in the morning I am too tired now."

"Whatever!" Sora said.

Tai got in smiling. Sometimes his wife's nagging could get a little too much but that was the girl he loved.

He turned around to face Sora and saw that she had not even closed her eyes.

"What happened now? I locked the door I am sure. There won't be any burglars in to steal your precious designs though I guess they'd like my gold medals better but just to please you."

Sora gave him an expression that clearly said _duh_ and then she became serious again.

"Tai…I was thinking about Mom. Will you ever tell me what you said to her that she changed so fast?"

Tai hesitated and then said.

"OK. I will tell you. But please. I didn't tell you because I don't think everything I said had been right but I had been way too mad that time." And then he told her everything that he had said to her mother that day.

Sora had tears in her eyes when she leaned forward to hug him. Tai wiped away the tears kissing her cheeks.

"I…You were right Tai. She did accept me one day. Thanks for making her do it."

"I did not Sor. I was really on impulse. And anyways she would have realized it after she heard about Daniel and that Mimi's fate could have been yours. Hey, do you remember her face when we told her about Daniel."

Sora couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh yeah. To think that her precious Daniel was the leader of a gang. Not too cool for her flower shop!"

Tai smirked. "But I am glad things are better between you too."

Ever since then Tai was glad that Sora was much like her old self not so tensed or anything but he could get her temper up alright.

"I sometimes still cannot get over the fact that it was supposed to be. I was supposed to be the one who was supposed to have been going through all that…"

"Sor. Please don't think too much about it. I have told you that many times. There is a big fat if behind it and it turned out false so don't think about it."

"I guess….." Sora said and then she couldn't speak further because Tai gave her a really passionate kiss on the lips. They would have gone on kissing if Claudia hadn't waken up and given a cry.

"Aw baby….." Sora said gently picking her up and pulling her close to herself. Tai went near too and put his arm around them both as he kissed Sora's lips again…..

* * *

**Whoopie! I did manage to finish it before the damn exams. They start from 18 and end on 30. But I am not sure if I will be able to write in October or not coz it'll be too close to the other two exams. (Boards and Preliminary boards for those of you who know 'bout it.) I do have an idea of a multi chap and I guess I will write a bit.**

**Alright now about the fic. It was very disorganized for me. When I wrote the first chapter, I did not know where it was leading me or even who would be the kidnapper. Daniel was decided around chapter 5! But yet I enjoyed it and I was pleased with the way it came out. I never pre-planned and allowed my fingers to do the work. And I myself personally feel that it turned out better than 'Roses and Thorns'. That was based off a movie even though there weren't many similarities but this was my own from the scratch! But of course it was more enjoyable writing the other one coz this was more intense and that was a light chaotic comedy and I had better time to write and for this I had to fit it in my tight schedule and I wrote at 11 or 12 or sometimes even 1 and would always be in a hurry to go to sleep! (It is 12:30 now and I am totally exhausted!)**

**But anyways hope you guys enjoyed…..Do review and tell me!**

**Taioramimatotakari567; **Thanks! I will try!

**Lilyangel003; **Thanks!

**Missylea; **Thanks! I was really worried about the Mimato! Glad you liked that!

**Mimatolove4ever; **Thanks! I have an idea but I don't know when I will be able to write it. Most likely in October first week. I am real tensed about the exams just now!

**Mrs. Mimi Ishida; **Thanks! I had ended up crying myself about Mimi!


End file.
